Initial vs Silver Light
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
18%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Initial takes 5 of 7 categories.
InitialChoose it for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Silver LightChoose it for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Initial5/7
Silver Light2/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Initial
- Community sentiment
- Initial
- Longevity
- Initial
- Sillage & projection
- Silver Light
- Value for money
- Silver Light
- Versatility
- Initial
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Initial
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
InitialBoucheronSilver LightLinn YoungWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.09/ 5 · 684 votes
Have 38%Had 32%Want 30%
3.29/ 5 · 58 votes
Have 30%Had 25%Want 45%
Category winnerInitialRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate39%Love
45%Like
3%Ok
13%Dislike
0%Hate
684 votes
16%Love
43%Like
3%Ok
31%Dislike
7%Hate
58 votes
Category winnerInitialMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityInitial
SillageSilver Light
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerSilver LightBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothfloral100%
fruity92%
fresh spicy84%
honey77%
fresh69%
aromatic61%
sweet100%
patchouli92%
caramel84%
warm spicy77%
woody69%
honey61%
Scent match18%Clearly different · both honey
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
PepperCassisRed currant leafMandarin Orange
Heart
PatchouliRoseJasmineWildflowers
Base
HoneyMuskAlmond
Top
Cotton CandyJasmineCoconutBergamotCassisMelonMandarin Orange
Heart
HoneyApricotPlumPeachOrchidLily-of-the-ValleyRed BerriesRose
Base
PatchouliCaramelDark ChocolateAmberVanillaTonka BeanMusk
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 seasonSpring47
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Spring37
Summer0
Fall0
Winter100
Day–
Night–
Category winnerInitialMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#2,996
PerfumerJacques Cavallier Belletrud
Launched—
Reviews62
Overall rank#21,186
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews6
Category winnerInitialHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotInitial 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 →Silver Light by Linn Young opens with a sharp burst of spun cotton candy, juicy melon, and tangy cassis. Bright bergamot and sweet mandarin orange cut through the initial sugary blast, giving the top notes a fruity pop. The scent soon shifts into a heavy heart of dark honey, ripe plum, and soft jasmine. Deep patchoul…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Initial or Silver Light?
Initial takes 5 of 7 categories. Initial is rated 4.09/5 from 684 votes; Silver Light is rated 3.29/5 from 58 votes. Choose Initial for a floral and fruity character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Silver Light for a sweet and patchouli character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.
Which lasts longer, Initial or Silver Light?
Initial lasts longest (Initial 71/100, Silver Light 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Initial or Silver Light?
Projection is very close: Silver Light 67/100, Initial 65/100 for sillage.
Do Initial and Silver Light smell similar?
Clearly different: a 18% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share honey accords. Common notes include Cassis, Mandarin Orange, Patchouli and Rose.
Is Initial or Silver Light better for summer or winter?
For summer, Initial is the stronger pick. For winter, Initial is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Initial and Silver Light?
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. Silver Light has top notes of Cotton Candy, Jasmine, Coconut and Bergamot, heart notes of Honey, Apricot, Plum and Peach, a base of Patchouli, Caramel, Dark Chocolate and Amber.
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