Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Ma Muse

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 129 ratings analysed

6 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,914 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

Ma Muse

Salvador Dali · 2017

3.8954 votes

Rank #33,844 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 6 of 7 categories.

Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Ma Muse
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Initiation6/7

Ma Muse1/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitiationMolyneux

Ma MuseSalvador Dali

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

3.89/ 5 · 54 votes

Have 26%Had 11%Want 63%

Category winnerInitiationRating 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

24%Love

50%Like

17%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

54 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityInitiation

SillageMa Muse

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value18

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

floral100%

powdery90%

white floral80%

almond70%

sweet60%

vanilla50%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and sweet

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

HeliotropeAlmond

Heart

Vanilla OrchidTuberoseJasmine

Base

Carnation

InformationalShared notesTuberose, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Carnation. 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

Spring100

Summer48

Fall74

Winter17

Day100

Night28

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,914

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#33,844

PerfumerAmelie Bourgeois

Launched2017

Reviews0

Category winnerInitiationHigher 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 →

Salvador Dali Ma Muse offers a gentle, powdery take on floral perfumes for ladies who appreciate subtle luxury. The scent opens with a soothing blend of sweet almond and powdery heliotrope that brings to mind freshly baked marzipan pastries dusted in powdered sugar. As the initial sweetness settles, a heart of creamy …

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Initiation or Ma Muse?

Initiation takes 6 of 7 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Ma Muse is rated 3.89/5 from 54 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Ma Muse for a floral and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Ma Muse?

Initiation lasts longest (Initiation 66/100, Ma Muse 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Ma Muse?

Ma Muse projects furthest (Ma Muse 59/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initiation and Ma Muse smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and sweet accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Heliotrope, Jasmine and Carnation.

Is Initiation or Ma Muse better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Initiation and Ma Muse?

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. Ma Muse has top notes of Heliotrope and Almond, heart notes of Vanilla Orchid, Tuberose and Jasmine, a base of Carnation.