Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Magic Nights

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 84 ratings analysed

2 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #14,460 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

Magic Nights

Marilyn Miglin

4.119 votes

Rank #37,001 Yellow FloralAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 2 of 3 categories.

Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Magic Nights
Choose it for a yellow floral and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, evening wear.

Initiation2/3

Magic Nights1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitiationMolyneux

Magic NightsMarilyn Miglin

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

4.11/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 25%Had 6%Want 69%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating 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

33%Love

56%Like

0%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityMagic Nights

SillageInitiation

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

yellow floral100%

aromatic92%

green84%

woody77%

citrus69%

amber61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both yellow floral and woody

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

BergamotMandarin OrangeBlack currant leafCurrant buds

Heart2 to 4 hours

NarcissusYlang-YlangClovesJasmine

Base3 to 5 hours

VetiverAmberBourbon Vanilla

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Narcissus. Durations are only published for Magic Nights, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Spring25

Summer100

Fall50

Winter25

Day17

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#14,460

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#37,001

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

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 →

Magic Nights by Marilyn Miglin delivers a distinctive floral woody musk arrangement built around yellow florals, tart greenery, and warm resin. The opening bursts with juicy mandarin orange and bergamot, shadowed quickly by the sharp, herbal bite of black currant leaf and currant buds. As the initial brightness settle…

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 Magic Nights?

Initiation takes 2 of 3 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Magic Nights is rated 4.11/5 from 9 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Magic Nights for a yellow floral and aromatic character. Wins on longevity. Best in summer, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Magic Nights?

They last about the same: Magic Nights 68/100, Initiation 66/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Magic Nights?

Projection is very close: Initiation 56/100, Magic Nights 54/100 for sillage.

Do Initiation and Magic Nights smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share yellow floral and woody accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang and Narcissus.

Is Initiation or Magic Nights better for summer or winter?

Initiation suits day or night wear; Magic Nights suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initiation and Magic Nights?

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. Magic Nights has top notes of Bergamot, Mandarin Orange, Black currant leaf and Currant buds, heart notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Cloves and Jasmine, a base of Vetiver, Amber and Bourbon Vanilla.