Initio perfumes: which one to try first
Ten Initio perfumes sorted by character, from oud and spice to musks and rose, with a first pick and the seasons community voters choose for each.
Ten Initio perfumes, in the order to try them
Take the first, then one from another group.
- 1Best overall
Lavender, nutmeg and saffron over agarwood, with musk and patchouli: a spiced, slightly metallic oud for winter and fall nights.
from €12.963 ml
- 2
Bergamot and ginger over licorice, agarwood (oud) and cedar, with vanilla and musk: a brighter, sweeter oud.
from €13.773 ml
- 3
Rum over tobacco and cinnamon, on sandalwood: a boozy, spiced tobacco with a sweet, woody finish.
from €11.613 ml
- 4Best sweet pick
Pink pepper, cherry and black pepper over rose and cognac, on tobacco, vanilla and tonka: sweet and peppery.
from €11.343 ml
- 5Best for evening
Amber, castoreum, leather, musk, vanilla and white flowers: a powdery, animal-leaning vanilla.
from €11.343 ml
Show all 10 picks
- 6Best amber pick
Amber, musk, sandalwood, vanilla and white flowers: a woody, powdery amber.
from €11.343 ml
- 7Best for daytime
White musk, black currant and mandarin orange over magnolia, on white sandalwood: a citrus-lit musk.
from €11.613 ml
- 8Best floral pick
Bulgarian and Turkish rose with Egyptian jasmine, on Madagascar vanilla and amber: a vanilla-backed rose.
from €12.243 ml
- 9
Lavender and bergamot over cedar, vetiver and patchouli, on sandalwood and guaiac wood: an aromatic, powdery wood.
from €11.613 ml
- 10
Lavender, sage and bergamot over plum and palo santo, on sandalwood and agarwood (oud): a herbal wood with a touch of fruit.
from €11.613 ml
In this guide
The Initio Parfums Prives perfume to try first is Oud for Greatness, a spiced, earthy oud that community voters pick for winter, fall and night. If you want something sweet, start with Side Effect; for office days, Rehab; for a rose, Atomic Rose. Every one of these Initio perfumes is filled from the original bottle into 3ml and 10ml decants.
Choosing between ten Initio perfumes
10ML stocks many perfumes from Initio Parfums Prives, and this guide covers ten of the Initio perfumes 10ML stocks. Seven of the ten are listed as unisex, one for men and two for women, so the label tells you less than the notes and the seasons voters choose. If the whole category is new to you, best niche perfumes to try gives the wider picture.
One way to choose is by character:
- Oud and spice, voted for fall and winter: Oud for Greatness and Oud for Happiness.
- Sweet, all voted for winter: Side Effect, Narcotic Delight and Absolute Aphrodisiac.
- Musks and florals, from a spring day to a winter night: Blessed Baraka, Musk Therapy and Atomic Rose.
- Woods: Rehab for day and office wear, Paragon for evenings.
Quick comparison
| # | Perfume | Label | Main notes | Lasts | Trail | Season | 3 ml | 10 ml | per ml |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oud for GreatnessInitio Parfums Privés | Best overall | Agarwood | Eternal | Strong | Winter | €12.96 | €38.34 | €3.83 |
| 2 | Oud for HappinessInitio Parfums Privés | Agarwood (Oud), Cedar, Licorice | Long lasting | Strong | Autumn, Winter | €13.77 | €38.25 | €3.83 | |
| 3 | Side EffectInitio Parfums Privés | Cinnamon, Tobacco | Long lasting | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €11.61 | €32.49 | €3.25 | |
| 4 | Narcotic DelightInitio Parfums Privés | Best sweet pick | Cognac, Rose | Long lasting | Strong | Winter | €11.34 | €30.60 | €3.06 |
| 5 | Absolute AphrodisiacInitio Parfums Privés | Best for evening | Amber, Castoreum, Leather | Long lasting | Moderate | Winter | €11.34 | €30.60 | €3.06 |
| 6 | Blessed BarakaInitio Parfums Privés | Best amber pick | Amber, Musk, Sandalwood | Long lasting | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €11.34 | €30.60 | €3.06 |
| 7 | Musk TherapyInitio Parfums Privés | Best for daytime | Magnolia | Long lasting | Moderate | Spring | €11.61 | €32.49 | €3.25 |
| 8 | Atomic RoseInitio Parfums Privés | Best floral pick | Bulgarian Rose, Egyptian Jasmine, Turkish Rose | Eternal | Strong | Winter, Autumn | €12.24 | €34.29 | €3.43 |
| 9 | RehabInitio Parfums Privés | Cedar, Patchouli, Vetiver | Long lasting | Moderate | Autumn | €11.61 | €32.49 | €3.25 | |
| 10 | ParagonInitio Parfums Privés | Black Pepper, Palo Santo, Plum | Long lasting | Moderate | Autumn | €11.61 | €32.49 | €3.25 |
Show all 10 picks
Community votes
Oud and spice
Two perfumes built around agarwood. One is spiced and earthy, the other brighter and sweeter.
Oud for Greatness by Initio Parfums Prives
Oud for Greatness launched in 2018 and is listed for men. Lavender, nutmeg and saffron open it, agarwood sits in the heart, and musk and patchouli finish it. Its accords are warm spicy, fresh spicy, oud, lavender, patchouli and metallic. It reads as a spiced, slightly metallic oud with an earthy base.
Winter and fall are its voted seasons, and night is its voted time of day. Longevity votes: most community voters rate it "eternal". Sillage votes lean "strong". It suits a cold night out, and it is the one to start with.
Oud for Happiness by Initio Parfums Prives
Oud for Happiness launched in 2021 and is listed as unisex. Bergamot and ginger open it, licorice, agarwood (oud) and cedar form the heart, and vanilla, herbal notes and musk close it. Its accords are fresh spicy, citrus, soft spicy, vanilla, green and powdery. Where Oud for Greatness is earthy, this one is brighter at the start and sweeter at the end.
Voters place it in fall and winter, after dark, in the evening or at night. On longevity, most community voters say "long lasting". On sillage, the votes lean "strong" (then "moderate"). It suits anyone who wants oud with citrus at the start and vanilla at the end.
Sweet, for winter
Three sweet perfumes, all voted for winter.
Side Effect by Initio Parfums Prives
Side Effect launched in 2016 and is listed as unisex. Rum opens it, tobacco and cinnamon sit in the heart, and sandalwood forms the base. Its accords are warm spicy, tobacco, rum, cinnamon, woody and sweet. It reads as a boozy, spiced tobacco with a sweet, woody finish. For more of that note, see tobacco perfumes.
Its voted seasons are winter and fall, and its voted hours are evening and night. The longevity votes lean "long lasting" (then "eternal"). The sillage votes lean "strong" (then "moderate"). It suits a first-time buyer who likes sweet, spiced scents.
Narcotic Delight by Initio Parfums Prives
Narcotic Delight is the most recent of the ten, launched in 2024, and is listed as unisex. The opening is pink pepper, cherry and black pepper. The heart holds rose, cognac and hedione, and tobacco, vanilla, tonka, cedar and patchouli make the base. Its accords are sweet, vanilla, cherry, woody, tobacco and warm spicy. It is a sweet cherry-and-tobacco scent with a peppery start.
Winter is the season voters choose for it, and night the hour. For longevity, "long lasting" is the choice of most voters. For sillage, most voters choose "strong". It suits a winter night out.
Absolute Aphrodisiac by Initio Parfums Prives
Absolute Aphrodisiac launched in 2015 and is listed as unisex. Its notes all sit in one tier, with no separate heart or base: amber, castoreum, leather, musk, vanilla and white flowers. Its accords are vanilla, leather, amber, powdery, animalic and musky. It reads as a powdery, animal-leaning vanilla.
Voters choose it for winter, at night or in the evening. The longevity vote leans "long lasting" (then "moderate"). The sillage vote leans "moderate" (then "strong"). It suits someone who wants a powdery vanilla for winter evenings.
Musks and florals
Three perfumes built on musk or flowers: a powdery amber, a citrus-lit musk and a rose.
Blessed Baraka by Initio Parfums Prives
Blessed Baraka launched in 2015 and is listed as unisex. Its notes also come as one set: amber, musk, sandalwood, vanilla and white flowers. Its accords are amber, powdery, woody, musky, vanilla and animalic. It shares amber, musk, vanilla and white flowers with Absolute Aphrodisiac, and adds sandalwood, with woody as its third accord.
Winter and fall are its seasons in the votes, with night and evening as the hours. The longevity vote leans towards "long lasting" (then "eternal"). The sillage vote leans towards "strong" (then "moderate"). It suits cool-weather evenings.
Musk Therapy by Initio Parfums Prives
Musk Therapy launched in 2021 and is listed for women. White musk, musk, black currant, bergamot and mandarin orange open it, magnolia and hedione form the heart, and white sandalwood sits underneath. Its accords are citrus, musky, floral, powdery, fruity and woody. It is a citrus-lit musk. If musk is your note, white musk perfumes goes further.
Spring is the one season voters give it, and day and office the settings. Longevity votes lean "long lasting" (then "moderate"). Most voters call its sillage "moderate". It suits a spring day at work.
Atomic Rose by Initio Parfums Prives
Atomic Rose launched in 2019 and is listed for women. Pink pepper and bergamot open it, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose and Egyptian jasmine form the heart, and Madagascar vanilla and amber sit beneath. Its accords are rose, vanilla, citrus, soft spicy, floral and amber. It is a vanilla-backed rose. For others like it, see rose perfumes.
Voters name all four seasons for it, and night, evening and day alike. On longevity, the votes lean "eternal" (then "long lasting"). On sillage, voters lean "strong" (then "enormous"). It is the one of the ten voted for all four seasons.
Woods
Two woody perfumes that both open on lavender.
Rehab by Initio Parfums Prives
Rehab launched in 2018 and is listed as unisex. It opens on lavender and bergamot. Cedar, vetiver and patchouli form the heart, then sandalwood, musk and guaiac wood take over. Its accords are woody, powdery, aromatic, lavender, musky and fresh spicy. It is an aromatic wood with a powdery edge.
It is voted for fall and spring, and for the day and the office. Longevity votes lean "long lasting" (then "moderate"). Most voters call its sillage "moderate". It suits a working day.
Paragon by Initio Parfums Prives
Paragon launched in 2022 and is listed as unisex. Lavender, sage and bergamot open it, plum, palo santo and black pepper form the heart, and sandalwood and agarwood (oud) make the base. Its accords are woody, aromatic, fruity, fresh spicy, citrus and lavender. It is a woody, herbal scent with a touch of fruit in the middle. See lavender perfumes for more in this direction.
Fall and winter are its voted seasons, and evening its voted hour. Its longevity is "long lasting" for most voters. Its sillage gets "moderate" from most voters. It suits an evening in cool weather.
Which Initio perfume should you try first?
Here is the order, with one reason each:
- Start with [Oud for Greatness](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-oud-for-greatness) for a spiced oud on fall and winter nights.
- Choose [Oud for Happiness](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-oud-for-happiness) if you want oud that starts brighter and ends sweeter.
- Choose [Side Effect](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-side-effect) for rum, tobacco and cinnamon.
- Choose [Narcotic Delight](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-narcotic-delight) for a sweet cherry and tobacco scent in winter.
- Choose [Absolute Aphrodisiac](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-absolute-aphrodisiac) for a powdery vanilla with leather.
- Choose [Blessed Baraka](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-blessed-baraka) for a woody, powdery amber.
- Choose [Musk Therapy](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-musk-therapy) for a citrus-lit musk in spring.
- Choose [Atomic Rose](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-atomic-rose) for a rose voted for every season.
- Choose [Rehab](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-rehab) for an aromatic wood at the office.
- Choose [Paragon](/perfumes/initio-parfums-prives-paragon) for a herbal wood in the evening.
| Perfume | Launched | Listed for | Main accords | Community picks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oud for Greatness | 2018 | Men | Warm spicy, fresh spicy, oud | Winter and fall, night |
| Oud for Happiness | 2021 | Unisex | Fresh spicy, citrus, soft spicy | Fall and winter, night and evening |
| Side Effect | 2016 | Unisex | Warm spicy, tobacco, rum | Winter and fall, evening and night |
| Narcotic Delight | 2024 | Unisex | Sweet, vanilla, cherry | Winter, night |
| Absolute Aphrodisiac | 2015 | Unisex | Vanilla, leather, amber | Winter, night and evening |
| Blessed Baraka | 2015 | Unisex | Amber, powdery, woody | Winter and fall, night and evening |
| Musk Therapy | 2021 | Women | Citrus, musky, floral | Spring, day and office |
| Atomic Rose | 2019 | Women | Rose, vanilla, citrus | All four seasons, day, evening and night |
| Rehab | 2018 | Unisex | Woody, powdery, aromatic | Fall and spring, day and office |
| Paragon | 2022 | Unisex | Woody, aromatic, fruity | Fall and winter, evening |
Trying Initio before you buy a bottle
Begin with a 3ml decant. The 3ml of Oud for Greatness is €12.96 and holds around 60 sprays, enough for several wears. Side Effect is €11.61 in the same size. Once one has won you over, a 10ml decant gives around 200 sprays. All ten are sold in both sizes, and what is a perfume decant explains how they are filled.
For a first order, pick one scent from the oud and spice or sweet groups and one from the musks or woods, so you find out which direction suits you. Wear each on its own day, on freshly washed skin. If you are buying without smelling anything first, safe blind buy perfumes lists easy styles to begin with, and best oud perfumes compares oud across other houses.
The bigger picture: Best perfume for women 2026: 23 picks, classic to new and Best perfume for men 2026: 23 picks, classic to new.
Frequently asked questions
- Which Initio perfume should I try first?
- Start with Oud for Greatness. It opens on lavender, nutmeg and saffron over agarwood, and community voters pick it for winter and fall, and for night wear. If you prefer sweet and spiced, try Side Effect, and for office days try Rehab. The 3ml decant of Oud for Greatness is €12.96.
- Which Initio fragrances are for men?
- Oud for Greatness is listed for men among these ten. Seven of the others, including Side Effect, Rehab and Paragon, are listed as unisex, and Musk Therapy and Atomic Rose are listed for women, so most of them suit any wearer.
- Which Initio perfume is best for women?
- Musk Therapy and Atomic Rose are the two listed for women. Musk Therapy is a citrus-lit musk voted for spring and for day and office wear, and Atomic Rose is a vanilla-backed rose voted for all four seasons. The unisex ones, such as Blessed Baraka, suit women too.
- Which Initio perfumes are voted for winter?
- Eight of the ten are voted for winter: Oud for Greatness, Oud for Happiness, Side Effect, Narcotic Delight, Absolute Aphrodisiac, Blessed Baraka, Paragon and Atomic Rose. Atomic Rose is voted for every season. Rehab and Musk Therapy are the two not voted for winter.
- Which Initio perfumes suit spring or the office?
- Rehab, Musk Therapy and Atomic Rose are the three voted for spring. Rehab and Musk Therapy are also the only two community voters pick for office wear, Rehab as an aromatic wood and Musk Therapy as a citrus-lit musk.
- Can I try an Initio perfume in a decant before buying a bottle?
- Yes. Each of the ten is filled from the original bottle into a 3ml or a 10ml decant. A 3ml decant of Oud for Greatness costs €12.96 and holds around 60 sprays, and a 10ml decant costs €38.34 and holds around 200 sprays.
Wear it for a week, not ten seconds.
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