Initiation vs Cassini
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
51%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Cassini takes 4 of 7 categories.
InitiationChoose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.
CassiniChoose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Initiation3/7
Cassini4/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Cassini
- Community sentiment
- Initiation
- Longevity
- Cassini
- Sillage & projection
- Cassini
- Value for money
- Initiation
- Versatility
- Initiation
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Cassini
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
InitiationMolyneuxCassiniOleg CassiniWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.23/ 5 · 75 votes
Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%
4.22/ 5 · 254 votes
Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%
Category winnerCassiniRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate40%Love
52%Like
1%Ok
4%Dislike
3%Hate
75 votes
54%Love
30%Like
2%Ok
15%Dislike
0%Hate
254 votes
Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityCassini
SillageCassini
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerInitiationBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwhite floral100%
sweet92%
woody84%
floral77%
yellow floral69%
animalic61%
white floral100%
floral92%
animalic84%
amber77%
musky69%
earthy61%
Scent match51%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and animalic
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley
Base
HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver
Top
GardeniaOsmanthusIrisCorianderFreesiaOrange BlossomMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseCarnationChrysanthemumJasmineYlang-YlangBulgarian Rose
Base
IncenseCivetOakmossLeatherAmberPatchouliMuskVetiver
InformationalShared notesGardenia, Mandarin Orange, 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 seasonSpring47
Summer40
Fall100
Winter80
Day100
Night94
Spring33
Summer33
Fall100
Winter96
Day53
Night100
Category winnerInitiationMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#15,067
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews8
Overall rank#2,843
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews51
Category winnerCassiniHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotInitiation 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 →Cassini opens with a heavy blast of classic white florals, dominated by tuberose and gardenia, before settling into a warm, spicy base of incense and oakmoss. This is a complex, rich scent that demands cold weather and formal evenings to truly shine. Unlike modern, sugary sweet perfumes, it carries a deep animalic und…
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, Initiation or Cassini?
Cassini takes 4 of 7 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Cassini is rated 4.22/5 from 254 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 Cassini for a white floral and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Initiation or Cassini?
Cassini lasts longest (Cassini 80/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Initiation or Cassini?
Cassini projects furthest (Cassini 74/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Initiation and Cassini smell similar?
Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and animalic accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Mandarin Orange, Bergamot and Tuberose.
Is Initiation or Cassini better for summer or winter?
For summer, Initiation is the stronger pick. For winter, Cassini is the stronger pick. Initiation suits day or night wear; Cassini suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Initiation and Cassini?
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. Cassini has top notes of Gardenia, Osmanthus, Iris and Coriander, heart notes of Tuberose, Carnation, Chrysanthemum and Jasmine, a base of Incense, Civet, Oakmoss and Leather.
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