Fragrance comparison

Ma Muse vs Initiation

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

Updated 20 Oct 2026 129 ratings analysed

Ma Muse

Salvador Dali · 2017

3.8954 votes

Rank #33,844 FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

41%scent match

Some overlap

6 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #13,914 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 6 of 7 categories.

Ma Muse
Choose it for a floral and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Initiation
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Ma Muse1/7

Initiation6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ma MuseSalvador Dali

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.89/ 5 · 54 votes

Have 26%Had 11%Want 63%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerInitiationRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

24%Love

50%Like

17%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

54 votes

40%Love

52%Like

1%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

75 votes

Category winnerInitiationMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityInitiation

SillageMa Muse

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value18

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

floral100%

powdery90%

white floral80%

almond70%

sweet60%

vanilla50%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match41%Some overlap · both white floral, floral and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top

HeliotropeAlmond

Heart

Vanilla OrchidTuberoseJasmine

Base

Carnation

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesHeliotrope, Tuberose, Jasmine and Carnation. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer48

Fall74

Winter17

Day100

Night28

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#33,844

PerfumerAmelie Bourgeois

Launched2017

Reviews0

Overall rank#13,914

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerInitiationHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Salvador Dali Ma Muse offers a gentle, powdery take on floral perfumes for ladies who appreciate subtle luxury. The scent opens with a soothing blend of sweet almond and powdery heliotrope that brings to mind freshly baked marzipan pastries dusted in powdered sugar. As the initial sweetness settles, a heart of creamy …

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Ma Muse or Initiation?

Initiation takes 6 of 7 categories. Ma Muse is rated 3.89/5 from 54 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Ma Muse for a floral and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Initiation for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Ma Muse or Initiation?

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

Which projects more, Ma Muse or Initiation?

Ma Muse projects furthest (Ma Muse 59/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ma Muse and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 41% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, floral and sweet accords. Common notes include Heliotrope, Tuberose, Jasmine and Carnation.

Is Ma Muse or Initiation better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Ma Muse and Initiation?

Ma Muse has top notes of Heliotrope and Almond, heart notes of Vanilla Orchid, Tuberose and Jasmine, a base of Carnation. 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.