M3 vs Initiation
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
12%scent match
Clearly different
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Initiation takes 3 of 4 categories.
M3Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.
InitiationChoose 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.
M31/4
Initiation3/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- M3
- 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
M3Michael CincoInitiationMolyneuxWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split3.00/ 5 · 1 votes
Have 29%Had 0%Want 71%
4.23/ 5 · 75 votes
Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate0%Love
0%Like
100%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
1 vote · too few to score
40%Love
52%Like
1%Ok
4%Dislike
3%Hate
75 votes
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityM3
SillageInitiation
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerInitiationBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent familycitrus100%
musky90%
tuberose80%
fresh spicy70%
powdery60%
fruity50%
white floral100%
sweet92%
woody84%
floral77%
yellow floral69%
animalic61%
Scent match12%Clearly different
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
BergamotPeachMandarin Orange
Heart
TuberoseRoseIndian Jasmine
Base
White MuskAmberVirginia Cedar
Top
PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot
Heart
TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley
Base
HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Tuberose. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring100
Summer50
Fall50
Winter50
Day100
Night50
Spring47
Summer40
Fall100
Winter80
Day100
Night94
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#71,914
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#15,067
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews8
Category winnerInitiationHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotM3 is a bright floral that opens with bergamot, mandarin, and a soft peach accent before tuberose, rose, and jasmine take over. The dry-down shifts into white musk, amber, and cedar, giving it a cleaner, slightly powdery finish. It reads feminine first, polished, and easy to wear if you like florals with a fresh citru…
Reviews →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 →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.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, M3 or Initiation?
Initiation takes 3 of 4 categories. M3 is rated 3.00/5 from 1 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose M3 for a citrus and musky character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear. 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.
Which lasts longer, M3 or Initiation?
M3 lasts longest (M3 70/100, Initiation 66/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, M3 or Initiation?
Initiation projects furthest (Initiation 56/100, M3 50/100), based on community performance votes.
Do M3 and Initiation smell similar?
Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Peach, Mandarin Orange and Tuberose.
Is M3 or Initiation better for summer or winter?
M3 suits daytime wear; Initiation suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in M3 and Initiation?
M3 has top notes of Bergamot, Peach and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Rose and Indian Jasmine, a base of White Musk, Amber and Virginia Cedar. 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.
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