Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Nocturnes (2023)

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 79 ratings analysed

3 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,922 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

Nocturnes (2023)

Caron

5.004 votes

Rank #31,571 AldehydicWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 3 of 4 categories.

Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Nocturnes (2023)
Choose it for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Initiation3/4

Nocturnes (2023)1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Initiation
Sillage & projection: Nocturnes (2023)
Value for money: Initiation
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

Nocturnes (2023)Caron

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 15%Had 0%Want 85%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityInitiation

SillageNocturnes (2023)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value0

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

aldehydic100%

white floral92%

rose84%

floral77%

fresh69%

green61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both white floral and floral

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

Notes

AldehydesEgyptian JasmineRoseHyacinthTuberoseVetiverSandalHoneyGuaiac Wood

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Tuberose, Rose and Jasmine. Durations are only published for Nocturnes (2023), so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night56

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Work 37%Date 29%Casual 25%Party 9%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,922

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#31,571

PerfumerJean Jacques

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Nocturnes (2023) by Caron revives a heritage floral profile with modern clarity. The first spray releases a fizzy rush of aldehydes that smells like luxury French bath soap lathered in cold spring water. It feels pristine. Beneath that sparkling sheen lies a green hyacinth stem, creamy Egyptian jasmine, and velvety ro…

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 Nocturnes (2023)?

Initiation takes 3 of 4 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Nocturnes (2023) is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on longevity, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Nocturnes (2023) for a aldehydic and white floral character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Nocturnes (2023)?

Initiation lasts longest (Initiation 66/100, Nocturnes (2023) 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Nocturnes (2023)?

Nocturnes (2023) projects furthest (Nocturnes (2023) 63/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initiation and Nocturnes (2023) smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Tuberose, Rose and Jasmine.

Is Initiation or Nocturnes (2023) better for summer or winter?

Initiation suits day or night wear; Nocturnes (2023) suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initiation and Nocturnes (2023)?

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. Nocturnes (2023) features Aldehydes, Egyptian Jasmine, Rose, Hyacinth and Tuberose.