Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 82 ratings analysed

3 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,623 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes

Pupa

4.007 votes

Rank #52,919 White FloralAquatic

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 sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes
Choose it for a white floral and aquatic character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Initiation3/4

Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes0/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Initiation
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

Red Queen Fresh AldehydesPupa

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

4.00/ 5 · 7 votes

Have 41%Had 11%Want 48%

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

29%Love

57%Like

0%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

7 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageInitiation

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value67

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

white floral100%

aquatic90%

aromatic80%

fresh70%

tuberose60%

green50%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both white 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

Top15-30 mins

CorianderOrange LeafRhubarb

Heart2-4 hrs

Water NotesGardeniaTuberoseLily-of-the-ValleyFlower Petals

Base4-6+ hrs

VetiverAmberWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Tuberose, Lily-of-the-Valley and Amber. Durations are only published for Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Spring33

Summer100

Fall33

Winter0

Day100

Night32

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Casual 37%Work 34%Date 19%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#13,623

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#52,919

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

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 →

Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes opens with a tart, mouth-puckering bite of rhubarb sliced against crisp orange leaf. The initial spray carries a sharp alcohol snap before calming down within three minutes. Soon, clean water notes rush through a blooming bouquet of gardenia, tuberose, and green lily-of-the-valley. It smells …

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 Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes?

Initiation takes 3 of 4 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes is rated 4.00/5 from 7 votes. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes for a white floral and aquatic character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes?

They last about the same: Initiation 66/100, Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes 66/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes?

Projection is very close: Initiation 56/100, Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes 55/100 for sillage.

Do Initiation and Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Tuberose, Lily-of-the-Valley and Amber.

Is Initiation or Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes better for summer or winter?

Initiation suits day or night wear; Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Initiation and Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes?

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. Red Queen Fresh Aldehydes has top notes of Coriander, Orange Leaf and Rhubarb, heart notes of Water Notes, Gardenia, Tuberose and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Vetiver, Amber and White Musk.