Dune vs Initiation
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
27%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories.
DuneChoose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
InitiationChoose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Dune3/7
Initiation4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Initiation
- Community sentiment
- Initiation
- Longevity
- Dune
- Sillage & projection
- Dune
- Value for money
- Initiation
- Versatility
- Initiation
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Dune
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
DuneDiorInitiationMolyneuxWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.95/ 5 · 13,323 votes
Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%
4.23/ 5 · 75 votes
Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%
Category winnerInitiationRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate39%Love
39%Like
3%Ok
17%Dislike
1%Hate
12,689 votes
40%Love
52%Like
1%Ok
4%Dislike
3%Hate
75 votes
Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityDune
SillageDune
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerInitiationBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
amber92%
balsamic84%
warm spicy77%
powdery69%
citrus61%
white floral100%
sweet92%
woody84%
floral77%
yellow floral69%
animalic61%
Scent match27%Clearly different · both woody
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
Brazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamotPeony
Heart
LilyYlang-YlangWallflowerJasmineRose
Base
AmberSandalwoodBenzoinOakmossVanillaPatchouliMusk
Top
PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley
Base
HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver
InformationalShared notesBrazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring70
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring47
Summer40
Fall100
Winter80
Day100
Night94
Category winnerInitiationMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#997
PerfumerDominique Ropion, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Nejla Barbir
Launched1991
Reviews360
Overall rank#15,067
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews8
Category winnerDuneHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotDior Dune smells like warm, sun-baked coastal sand and dry cedar wood on a breezy late summer afternoon. Instead of leaning on sugary fruits or heavy vanilla syrup, Dune opens with a crisp, sparkling burst of aldehydes, zesty mandarin orange, and dry Brazilian rosewood. As the bright opening settles on your skin, gent…
Reviews →Initiation by Molyneux is a Oriental Floral fragrance for women. Initiation was launched in 1990. Top notes are Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot; middle notes are Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Narcissus, Heliotrope, Jasmine, Carnation and Lily-of-the-Valley; base notes are Ho…
Reviews →InformationalRead bothTaste is personal
How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Dune or Initiation?
Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories. Dune is rated 3.95/5 from 13,323 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Dune for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Which lasts longer, Dune or Initiation?
Dune lasts longest (Dune 75/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Dune or Initiation?
Dune projects furthest (Dune 66/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Dune and Initiation smell similar?
Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot.
Is Dune or Initiation better for summer or winter?
For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, Dune is the stronger pick. Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Dune and Initiation?
Dune has top notes of Brazilian Rosewood, Aldehydes, Mandarin Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Lily, Ylang-Ylang, Wallflower and Jasmine, a base of Amber, Sandalwood, Benzoin and Oakmoss. Initiation has top notes of Peach, Gardenia, Brazilian Rosewood and Aldehydes, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Rose and Narcissus, a base of Honey, Amber, Civet and Oakmoss.
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