Fragrance comparison

First Parfum vs Initiation

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Nov 2026 373 ratings analysed

4 wins

First Parfum

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.22298 votes

Rank #4,436 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,124 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

First Parfum takes 4 of 7 categories.

First Parfum
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.
Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

First Parfum4/7

Initiation3/7

Ratings & consensus: First Parfum
Community sentiment: Initiation
Longevity: First Parfum
Sillage & projection: First Parfum
Value for money: Initiation
Versatility: Initiation
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: First Parfum

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

First ParfumVan Cleef & Arpels

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.22/ 5 · 298 votes

Have 48%Had 23%Want 29%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerFirst ParfumRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

39%Like

4%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

298 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

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityFirst Parfum

SillageFirst Parfum

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value53

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

powdery92%

woody84%

sweet77%

musky69%

animalic61%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both floral, sweet and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

AldehydesPeachBlack CurrantBergamotRaspberry

Heart3-4 hrs

HyacinthTurkish RoseCarnationYlang-YlangJasmineTuberoseOrris RootOrchid

Base8-10+ hrs

CivetHoneyMossSandalwoodVetiverAmberMuskVanilla

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Peach, Bergamot and Turkish Rose. Durations are only published for First Parfum, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring86

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day73

Night100

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex11

Women85

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,436

PerfumerJean-Claude Ellena

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#15,124

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerFirst ParfumHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

First Parfum by Van Cleef & Arpels opens with a crisp rush of aldehydes alongside sweet peach and tangy black currant, creating a bright fizz that immediately recalls luxury French bath soap. As it warms on the skin, a rich floral heart takes over, mingling velvety Turkish rose, night-blooming jasmine, and earthy hyac…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, First Parfum or Initiation?

First Parfum takes 4 of 7 categories. First Parfum is rated 4.22/5 from 298 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose First Parfum for a floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, First Parfum or Initiation?

First Parfum lasts longest (First Parfum 73/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, First Parfum or Initiation?

First Parfum projects furthest (First Parfum 65/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do First Parfum and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, sweet and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Peach, Bergamot and Turkish Rose.

Is First Parfum or Initiation better for summer or winter?

For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, First Parfum is the stronger pick. First Parfum suits evening wear; Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in First Parfum and Initiation?

First Parfum has top notes of Aldehydes, Peach, Black Currant and Bergamot, heart notes of Hyacinth, Turkish Rose, Carnation and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Honey, Moss and Sandalwood. 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.