Fragrance comparison

Initial vs Forever Young

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 708 ratings analysed

4 wins

Initial

Boucheron

4.09684 votes

Rank #2,996 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Forever Young

Oakcha

3.3324 votes

Rank #63,515 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initial takes 4 of 5 categories.

Initial
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Forever Young
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Initial4/5

Forever Young1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitialBoucheron

Forever YoungOakcha

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 684 votes

Have 38%Had 32%Want 30%

3.33/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 48%Had 6%Want 45%

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

33%Love

25%Like

8%Ok

8%Dislike

25%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity65

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate58

Category winners

LongevityInitial

SillageInitial

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value75

Category winnerForever YoungBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

honey77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

sweet100%

fruity92%

white floral84%

floral77%

vanilla69%

amber61%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both fruity and floral

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

Top

JasmineMandarin OrangeCotton CandyPineappleBergamotCoconutMelonCassis

Heart

OrchidRoseBlackberryApricotLily-of-the-ValleyRed BerriesPeachHoney

Base

ChocolateCaramelTonka BeanAmberVanillaPatchouliMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesCassis, Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Rose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring67

Summer44

Fall100

Winter89

Day56

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

Men6

Unisex25

Women69

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,996

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews62

Overall rank#63,515

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerInitialHigher 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 →

Forever Young by Oakcha takes the famous sweet and earthy profile of Mugler Angel and delivers it in an accessible, concentrated bottle. The opening kicks off with spun cotton candy, juicy pineapple, and a touch of crisp bergamot, hitting your nose with an immediate sugar-spun brightness. As it settles, ripe blackberr…

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, Initial or Forever Young?

Initial takes 4 of 5 categories. Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes; Forever Young is rated 3.33/5 from 24 votes. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Forever Young for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Initial or Forever Young?

Initial lasts longest (Initial 71/100, Forever Young 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initial or Forever Young?

Projection is very close: Initial 65/100, Forever Young 63/100 for sillage.

Do Initial and Forever Young smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity and floral accords. Common notes include Cassis, Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Rose.

Is Initial or Forever Young better for summer or winter?

Forever Young suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initial and Forever Young?

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. Forever Young has top notes of Jasmine, Mandarin Orange, Cotton Candy and Pineapple, heart notes of Orchid, Rose, Blackberry and Apricot, a base of Chocolate, Caramel, Tonka Bean and Amber.