Fragrance comparison

Initial vs L'eau de Lily

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 1,052 ratings analysed

Initial

Boucheron

4.09684 votes

Rank #2,996 FloralFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

L'eau de Lily

O Boticário

4.17368 votes

Rank #30,996 White FloralCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'eau de Lily takes 4 of 7 categories.

Initial
Choose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
L'eau de Lily
Choose it for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Initial3/7

L'eau de Lily4/7

Ratings & consensus: L'eau de Lily
Community sentiment: L'eau de Lily
Longevity: Initial
Sillage & projection: Initial
Value for money: L'eau de Lily
Versatility: L'eau de Lily
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Initial

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitialBoucheron

L'eau de LilyO Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.09/ 5 · 684 votes

Have 38%Had 32%Want 30%

4.17/ 5 · 368 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

Category winnerL'eau de LilyRating 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

45%Love

35%Like

12%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

368 votes

Category winnerL'eau de LilyMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage44

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityInitial

SillageInitial

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value49

Category winnerL'eau de LilyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

fruity92%

fresh spicy84%

honey77%

fresh69%

aromatic61%

white floral100%

citrus88%

sweet77%

soft spicy65%

fruity53%

animalic42%

Scent match19%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

Top

PearMandarin OrangePink PepperLemonGreen AppleCassis

Heart

LilyOrange BlossomJasmineGardeniaRoseArum Lily

Base

MuskVanillaAmberSandalwoodAlmond

InformationalShared notesCassis, Mandarin Orange, Rose 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

Spring47

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer89

Fall71

Winter43

Day100

Night50

Category winnerL'eau de LilyMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex7

Women93

Men0

Unisex6

Women94

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,996

PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud

Launched—

Reviews62

Overall rank#30,996

PerfumerYves Cassar

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 →

L'eau de Lily by O Boticário opens with a bright splash of juicy pear, crisp green apple, and zesty lemon, accented by a gentle pinch of pink pepper. As the sparkling fruit top settles, the heart blooms into a lush bouquet of fresh white lily, orange blossom, gardenia, and jasmine petals. The dry-down brings cozy comf…

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 L'eau de Lily?

L'eau de Lily takes 4 of 7 categories. Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes; L'eau de Lily is rated 4.17/5 from 368 votes. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose L'eau de Lily for a white floral and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Initial or L'eau de Lily?

Initial lasts longest (Initial 71/100, L'eau de Lily 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initial or L'eau de Lily?

Initial projects furthest (Initial 65/100, L'eau de Lily 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initial and L'eau de Lily smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share fruity accords. Common notes include Cassis, Mandarin Orange, Rose and Jasmine.

Is Initial or L'eau de Lily better for summer or winter?

For summer, L'eau de Lily is the stronger pick. For winter, Initial is the stronger pick. L'eau de Lily suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initial and L'eau de Lily?

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. L'eau de Lily has top notes of Pear, Mandarin Orange, Pink Pepper and Lemon, heart notes of Lily, Orange Blossom, Jasmine and Gardenia, a base of Musk, Vanilla, Amber and Sandalwood.