Fragrance comparison

Initiation vs Sikkim

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 616 ratings analysed

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,099 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Sikkim

Lancôme

4.19541 votes

Rank #2,927 EarthyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sikkim takes 4 of 7 categories.

Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Sikkim
Choose it for a earthy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Initiation3/7

Sikkim4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

InitiationMolyneux

SikkimLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

4.19/ 5 · 541 votes

Have 62%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerSikkimRating 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

46%Love

44%Like

1%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

535 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevitySikkim

SillageSikkim

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value81

¤ Price value43

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

earthy100%

aromatic92%

green84%

woody77%

mossy69%

leather61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both 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

Top

GalbanumAldehydesCarawayGardeniaBergamot

Heart

CarnationRoseNarcissusIrisJasmine

Base

OakmossLeatherVetiverPatchouliAmberCoconut

InformationalShared notesGardenia, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Rose. 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

Spring98

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

Men5

Unisex39

Women56

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,099

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Overall rank#2,927

PerfumerRobert Gonnon

Launched—

Reviews34

Category winnerSikkimHigher 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 →

Sikkim is a dry, green leather floral that wears more like a vintage chypre than a sweet oriental. It opens with sharp aldehydes, bitter galbanum and spice, then settles into rose, carnation, jasmine, moss and smooth leather. It suits shoppers who enjoy structured, old-school perfumery with presence. Sample first if …

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 Sikkim?

Sikkim takes 4 of 7 categories. Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes; Sikkim is rated 4.19/5 from 541 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 Sikkim for a earthy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Initiation or Sikkim?

Sikkim lasts longest (Sikkim 75/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Initiation or Sikkim?

Sikkim projects furthest (Sikkim 66/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Initiation and Sikkim smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody accords. Common notes include Gardenia, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Rose.

Is Initiation or Sikkim better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Initiation and Sikkim?

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. Sikkim has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Caraway and Gardenia, heart notes of Carnation, Rose, Narcissus and Iris, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Vetiver and Patchouli.