Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Bandit

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 2,635 ratings analysed

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,067 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Bandit

Robert Piguet

4.392,560 votes

Rank #1,039 AromaticAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Bandit takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Initiation3/7

Bandit4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitiationMolyneux

BanditRobert Piguet

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

4.39/ 5 · 2,560 votes

Have 72%Had 28%Want 0%

Category winnerBanditRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

52%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

44%Love

33%Like

3%Ok

18%Dislike

1%Hate

2,553 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityBandit

SillageBandit

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value49

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

aromatic100%

animalic92%

earthy84%

mossy77%

woody69%

leather61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both woody and animalic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

Top

AldehydesGalbanumArtemisiaBergamotNeroliGardeniaYlang-YlangOrange

Heart

CarnationJasmineViolet RootTuberoseRose

Base

OakmossLeatherCivetVetiverPatchouliMyrrhMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Tuberose. 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

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Spring67

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men17

Unisex63

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#1,039

PerfumerGermaine Cellier

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerBanditHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Bandit by Robert Piguet is a historic leather chypre that challenges expectations. It opens with bracing galbanum and aldehydes before settling into an intense base of leather, oakmoss, and animalic musk. This is a bold, uncompromising scent for those who prefer dark, earthy, and green compositions over modern sweetne…

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, Initiation or Bandit?

Bandit takes 4 of 7 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Bandit is rated 4.39/5 from 2,560 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Bandit for a aromatic and animalic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Bandit?

Bandit lasts longest (Bandit 75/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Bandit?

Bandit projects furthest (Bandit 68/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initiation and Bandit smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and animalic accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Tuberose.

Is Initiation or Bandit better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Initiation and Bandit?

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. Bandit has top notes of Aldehydes, Galbanum, Artemisia and Bergamot, heart notes of Carnation, Jasmine, Violet Root and Tuberose, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Civet and Vetiver.