Fragrance comparison

Initial vs Angel

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 34,041 ratings analysed

Initial

Boucheron

4.09684 votes

Rank #2,996 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Angel

Mugler

3.5533,357 votes

Rank #2,482 SweetPatchouli

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Angel takes 4 of 7 categories.

Initial
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.
Angel
Choose it for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Initial3/7

Angel4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitialBoucheron

AngelMugler

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 684 votes

Have 38%Had 32%Want 30%

3.55/ 5 · 33,357 votes

Have 64%Had 36%Want 0%

Category winnerInitialRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

45%Like

3%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

684 votes

36%Love

25%Like

5%Ok

28%Dislike

7%Hate

33,357 votes

Category winnerInitialMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityAngel

SillageAngel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value48

Category winnerAngelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

honey77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

patchouli92%

fruity84%

warm spicy77%

caramel69%

vanilla61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PepperCassisRed currant leafMandarin Orange

Heart

PatchouliRoseJasmineWildflowers

Base

HoneyMuskAlmond

Top15-30 mins

Cotton CandyCoconutCassisMelonJasmineBergamotPineappleMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

HoneyRed BerriesBlackberryPlumApricotPeachNutmegCaraway

Base8-12+ hrs

PatchouliChocolateCaramelVanillaTonka BeanAmberMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCassis, Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Angel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring26

Summer18

Fall0

Winter100

Day49

Night100

Category winnerInitialMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

Men3

Unisex22

Women76

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,996

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews62

Overall rank#2,482

PerfumerOlivier Cresp, Yves de Chiris

Launched—

Reviews210

Category winnerAngelHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Initial by Boucheron opens with a sharp bite of black pepper and tart cassis before settling into a warm floral heart. Created in 2000 by perfumer Jacques Cavallier Belletrud, this composition merges dark red currant leaf with rich honey and powdery almond. The spice cuts through the sweet nectar, preventing the jasmi…

Reviews →

Mugler Angel is the original blue star that created the gourmand perfume genre in 1992. It is intensely sweet, unapologetically dirty, and notoriously strong. The first blast releases a sharp punch of spun cotton candy, tangy cassis, and bright bergamot. Within minutes, that confectionery sweetness clashes against dar…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Saffron AmberIlluminumRUNNER-UP vs

Septieme Sens (7e Sens)Sonia RykielWINNER

1 person compared this today

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

3 people compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Initial or Angel?

Angel takes 4 of 7 categories. Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes; Angel is rated 3.55/5 from 33,357 votes. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Angel for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Initial or Angel?

Angel lasts longest (Angel 85/100, Initial 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initial or Angel?

Angel projects furthest (Angel 79/100, Initial 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initial and Angel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Cassis, Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Jasmine.

Is Initial or Angel better for summer or winter?

For summer, Angel is the stronger pick. For winter, Initial is the stronger pick. Angel suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initial and Angel?

Initial has top notes of Pepper, Cassis, Red currant leaf and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Patchouli, Rose, Jasmine and Wildflowers, a base of Honey, Musk and Almond. Angel has top notes of Cotton Candy, Coconut, Cassis and Melon, heart notes of Honey, Red Berries, Blackberry and Plum, a base of Patchouli, Chocolate, Caramel and Vanilla.