Fragrance comparison

Gardelia vs Initiation

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 139 ratings analysed

5 wins

Gardelia

Bogue

4.2564 votes

Rank #6,503 White FloralAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,928 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Gardelia takes 5 of 7 categories.

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

Gardelia5/7

Initiation2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

GardeliaBogue

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.25/ 5 · 64 votes

Have 19%Had 8%Want 73%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerGardeliaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

60%Love

15%Like

2%Ok

17%Dislike

6%Hate

47 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

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityGardelia

SillageGardelia

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value49

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

animalic92%

floral84%

powdery77%

woody69%

tuberose61%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

GardeniaCivetTuberoseCognacBeeswaxJasminePowdery NotesPeachRoseMetallic notesFrangipaniWoody Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Civet, Tuberose and Jasmine. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer58

Fall83

Winter83

Day92

Night100

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerGardeliaMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex64

Women36

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#6,503

PerfumerAntonio Gardoni

Launched—

Reviews25

Overall rank#13,928

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerGardeliaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Gardelia is a rich, old-school white floral built around gardenia, tuberose and jasmine, with civet, beeswax and a faint metallic edge giving it a distinctly animalic character. It opens lush and dense, then settles into a powdery, musky floral with woody warmth. This is a statement scent for lovers of bold florals an…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Gardelia or Initiation?

Gardelia takes 5 of 7 categories. Gardelia is rated 4.25/5 from 64 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Gardelia for a white floral and animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Gardelia or Initiation?

Gardelia lasts longest (Gardelia 88/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Gardelia or Initiation?

Gardelia projects furthest (Gardelia 71/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Gardelia and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and animalic accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Civet, Tuberose and Jasmine.

Is Gardelia or Initiation better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Gardelia and Initiation?

Gardelia features Gardenia, Civet, Tuberose, Cognac and Beeswax. 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.