Fragrance comparison

Y vs Initiation

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 1,300 ratings analysed

Yves Saint Laurent

4.161,225 votes

Rank #26,720 GreenWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Initiation

Molyneux

4.2375 votes

Rank #15,067 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories.

Y
Choose it for a green and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
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.

Y3/7

Initiation4/7

Ratings & consensus: Y
Community sentiment: Initiation
Longevity: Y
Sillage & projection: Y
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

YYves Saint Laurent

InitiationMolyneux

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.16/ 5 · 1,225 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.23/ 5 · 75 votes

Have 38%Had 19%Want 43%

Category winnerYRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

44%Love

40%Like

4%Ok

12%Dislike

0%Hate

1,225 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

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate81

Category winners

LongevityY

SillageY

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value55

¤ Price value81

Category winnerInitiationBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

green100%

white floral92%

earthy84%

woody77%

aldehydic69%

mossy61%

white floral100%

sweet92%

woody84%

floral77%

yellow floral69%

animalic61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both white floral and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesGreen NotesGalbanumHoneysucklePeachGardeniaMirabelle Plum

Heart

HiacynthOrris RootYlang-YlangJasmineTuberoseBulgarian Rose

Base

OakmossCivetVetiverPatchouliSandalwoodBenzoinStyraxAmber

Top

PeachGardeniaBrazilian RosewoodAldehydesMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangRoseNarcissusHeliotropeJasmineCarnationLily-of-the-Valley

Base

HoneyAmberCivetOakmossCoconutPatchouliVetiver

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Peach, Gardenia and Ylang-Ylang. 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter43

Day–

Night–

Spring47

Summer40

Fall100

Winter80

Day100

Night94

Category winnerInitiationMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex41

Women48

Men0

Unisex10

Women90

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,720

PerfumerMichel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#15,067

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerInitiationHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Y by Yves Saint Laurent is a crisp, bitter-green chypre perfume that opens with a sharp burst of galbanum, aldehydes, and tart mirabelle plum before settling into dewy hyacinth, creamy gardenia, and earthy oakmoss. First released in 1964, it balances brisk botanical freshness with a warm, mossy base of vetiver and pat…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Y or Initiation?

Initiation takes 4 of 7 categories. Y is rated 4.16/5 from 1,225 votes; Initiation is rated 4.23/5 from 75 votes. Choose Y for a green and white floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. 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.

Which lasts longer, Y or Initiation?

They last about the same: Y 68/100, Initiation 66/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Y or Initiation?

Y projects furthest (Y 61/100, Initiation 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Y and Initiation smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral and woody accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Peach, Gardenia and Ylang-Ylang.

Is Y or Initiation better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Y and Initiation?

Y has top notes of Aldehydes, Green Notes, Galbanum and Honeysuckle, heart notes of Hiacynth, Orris Root, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmine, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Vetiver and Patchouli. 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.