7 Best Initio Parfums Fragrances (Ranked)

If you buy using links on our site, as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Today I’m going to reveal the 7 best Initio fragrances on the market right now.

And this is important, my friend:

I didn’t just rank these fragrances based on my own personal taste. Because we put all 21 of their fragrances from 6 different collections to the test for:

• Longevity/performance
• Versatility
• Compliment factor
• Lots more…

We then gathered a bunch of data for each fragrance and created a scoring “algorithm”.

That way, I could rank the top 7 best ones… based on actual data. 🙂

(Yes, by no means is this a perfect system, but we think it did a pretty good job.)

Anyway, without further ado, let’s see the rankings…

In a hurry?

Our Top 3 Picks:

• 1. Initio Oud for Greatness
• 2. Initio Side Effect
• 3. Initio Rehab

Jump Links

• 7. Initio Psychedelic Love
• 6. Initio Atomic Rose
• 5. Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac
• 4. Initio Blessed Baraka
• 3. Initio Rehab
• 2 Initio Side Effect
• 1. Initio Oud For Greatness
• Who are Initio Parfums Prives?
• The Collection Explained

#7 Initio Psychedelic Love

 A Deliciously Sweet Resinous Floral Scent

This is part of the brands Carnal Blends collection, and with a name like “Psychedelic Love,” you’re probably wondering…

Does it deliver on its promise?

It sure looks smells it. 😍

Let’s break it down…

Psychedelic Love opens up with a burst of myrrh mixed with some florals (ylang-ylang) to give you a sweet resinous floral vibe.

And as it settles, the heliotrope creeps in… joined with a hint of sandalwood and vanilla to smooth everything out.

Nice.

Rich, Warm & Addictive

You’re left with a smooth creamy and slightly powdery nutty almond vibe with a hint of vanilla sweetness and subtle floral undertones.

Oh, and it smells GORGEOUS. It’s rich, warm, and incredibly addictive.

The beautiful part:

This is unisex (but leans slightly feminine), so both you and your partner can smell amazing.

Date Nights

I would say, Psychedelic Love is more suited for the mature 20-up crowd, and it performs great all year (except in the high summer heat and/or humid locations).

It’s perfect for nights out, special occasions, date nights, intimate settings… you get the idea. 🙂

Now:

Intimate

Psychedelic Love is an EDP and projects nicely (about an arm’s length) for the first few hours. It then sits closer to the skin… becoming an intimate scent that draws people in.

The good news…

A little goes a LONG way… so, be careful not to overspray: 2 sprays MAX and you’re set for about 6–8+ hours!

---

#6 Initio Atomic Rose

Fresh Citrusy Rose

First things first…

As the name suggests, Atomic Rose is a (unisex) rose-based scent, and it contains a blend of natural Bulgarian rose and natural Turkish rose.

So to be clear, if you don’t like rose, this is (definitely) NOT for you. 🙂

Speaking of…

If you do LOVE rose-based scents, be sure to check out our best rose perfumes.

Anyway…

Let me tell you how it smells:

Sparkling Peppery Citrus

Atomic Rose opens with a HUGE blast of rose with a pinch of sparkling bergamot citrus and pink pepper.

Now, the star of the show is the rose, and as it dries down, it’s joined with a hint of vanilla that leaves you with a beautiful fresh sweet peppery citrusy rose.

And hats off to Initio… The rose is bright and smells SUPER realistic.

Sophisticated

Atomic Rose is a mature, sophisticated scent that is more suited for the 25-up crowd. I would say it’s unisex (but leans slightly feminine).

The best part:

This works well all year except in the high summer heat. And it’s more suited for dressed-up occasions, nights out, etc. Perfect for date nights (if your date likes rose, that is). 🙂

Even better…

Super Long Lasting

This is super-long lasting! Atomic Rose is an EDP and jumps off your skin for the first few hours (up to 6 feet) leaving a gorgeous scent trail.

It then becomes more subtle and creates a nice scent bubble around you that lasts 8+ hours.

Now, a quick word of caution, my friend:

Less is More

Please be careful not to overspray this one as you only need 1–2 sprays MAX. If you overspray, this could become annoying to others around you (it will fill a room!).

Bottom line:

If you’re a rose lover, don’t sleep on Atomic Rose!

---

#5 Initio Absolute Aphrodisiac

A Sexy Addictive Vanilla Scent

As the name suggests, Absolute Aphrodisiac is part of the Absolute collection. But does it live up to its Aphrodisiac title?

In my opinion: YES! 🙂

Let me break it down for you…

Warm & Rich

Absolute Aphrodisiac opens with a warm rich sweet creamy vanilla-amber accord with whispers of white florals in the background. Very nice!

Oh, by the way, if you LOVE vanilla based scents, you can discover more on our best vanilla perfumes shootout (most are unisex).

Anyway…

As it starts to settle on your skin, a subtle leather accord creeps into the background. And this is joined with a slight hint of an animalic note and some musk, which balances the fragrance out (stopping it from becoming overly sweet).

Inviting

It’s warm, sweet (but not too sweet); sexy and inviting. And, unsurprisingly, it attracts a LOT of positive attention. (Not complaining, mind you! 🙂)

The beautiful part:

This is completely unisex, so you can share it with your significant other.

Win-win.

In my opinion, Absolute Aphrodisiac is more suited for the mature 25-up crowd, and is best worn in cool weather: fall & winter (just avoid wearing it in the high heat).

It’s perfect for date nights, special occasions, nights out, romantic occasions… You get the idea. 🙂

Now, to be perfectly clear:

Draws People In

If you’re looking for a “room filler”, this is NOT it, my friend. This is an intimate scent that sits closer to the skin and draws people in.

Absolute Aphrodisiac is an EDP and projects just under arm’s length for the first 1–2 hours. It then sits closer to the skin, and in our tests, we found it to last around 8–10+ hours.

That said:

Don’t go crazy with the sprays as this is definitely a “less is more” type fragrance: 1–2 sprays MAX, and you’re good to go.

Vanilla lovers don’t sleep on this.

---

#4 Initio Blessed Baraka

A Spicy Woody Amber Scent

In case you didn’t know…

Baraka is Arabic, and in Islam means “blessing power”… A fitting name for this fragrance. 🙂

Let’s take a look…

By the way, this was created by award-winning master perfumer Alberto Morillas — who created such hits as Armani Acqua di Gio, CK One, Versace Pour Homme, to name but a few! Anyways…

Rich Warm Amber

Blessed Baraka opens with a sweet fruity spicy leather accord mixed with some rich creamy sandalwood and warm amber.

(Speaking of, sandalwood fans don’t miss our best sandalwood colognes A-list.)

Now:

As it dries down… the fruity leather accord slowly fades into the background. And the smooth creamy milky sandalwood and warm amber take center stage joined with a dose of musk and a hint of vanilla sweetness.

Nice.

Bold, Dark & Mysterious

Also, sitting in the background is a slight hint of woody oud that gives the scent a dark sexy mysterious aura.

It’s deep, rich, warm, and addictive. And it’s a HUGE compliment getter, I must add.

Blessed Baraka is completely unisex and more suited for the mature 25-up. This is a bold scent and is best worn in the cooler weather: fall/winter.

It’s perfect for date nights, special occasions, nights out, casual, clubbing, etc…

The beautiful part:

Performs Like a Champ

Performance is excellent! Blessed Baraka is an EDP and projects just over arm’s length for about 1.5–3 hours; leaving a nice scent trail.

It then calms down to create a gorgeous scent bubble around you, and we found it to last an impressive 7–10+ hours.

Needless to say, be careful with the trigger… 1–3 sprays MAX and you’re good to go (unless you want to fill a room, that is). 🙂

---

#3 Initio Rehab

A Clean & Fresh Woody Tobacco Scent

Rehab is part of Initio’s Hedonist collection (white bottles). This was a project to source super high-quality natural ingredients to create a nearly all natural luxurious blend.

Now, I should point something out:

When Rehab first opens, it has a slight similarity to the fragrance Spicebomb by Viktor & Rolf (except Rehab is smoother, richer, and far superior smelling). So…

If you like that type of fragrance, then I think you are going to LOVE Rehab. That said, as Rehab dries down it takes its very own intoxicating direction.

Let’s break it down:

Fresh, Clean & Spicy

Rehab opens up fresh, clean, and spicy with a blast of bergamot citrus mixed with lavender and some spicy tobacco.

And as Rehab settles, the citrus fades into the background, and then some creamy sandalwood, cedar, and vetiver join the party.

And finally, these notes are followed with a hint of smoky guaiac wood, some fruity earthy patchouli, and a pinch of vanilla sweetness.

The end result?

Smooth & Clean

An intoxicating smooth clean creamy spicy woody tobacco scent with a hint of vanilla sweetness.

And, to my nose, it smells AMAZING. It screams quality and garners a LOT of positive attention (understandably 🙂.)

By the way, if you’re a fan of the scent of tobacco, be sure to check our best tobacco fragrances.

All Year Versatility

Rehab is listed as unisex (but leans masculine), and is more suited for the mature 25-up crowd.

The best part?

This works well all year round, except in the high summer heat: special occasions, dates, work/office safe (spray lightly), casual, nights out, etc…

Now, to be clear:

If you’re looking for a projection monster, this is NOT it.

Personal Scent Bubble

Rehab doesn’t scream out for attention. As we found it to project within arm’s length for the first 1–1.5 hours, then it becomes more subtle, creating a nice personal scent bubble around you.

The good news…

This is an Extrait de Parfum (more concentrated than EDT & EDP), so it sticks to your skin for around 5–8+ hours.

Great. 🙂

---

#2 Initio Side Effect

Sweet Boozy Spicy Tobacco

Side Effect is part of the Carnal Blend collection (purple bottles), and is one of Initio’s best sellers… And for good reason!

Let’s take a look…

Splash of Sweet Rum

Side Effect opens up with a splash of sweet rum mixed with a spicy fruity tobacco accord.

Nice.

Now, as it dries down on your skin, some creamy vanilla and cinnamon morph with the rum and tobacco. The result? This leaves you with a gorgeous smooth creamy sweet boozy tobacco scent.

Dark, Rich & Sexy Sweet

The cinnamon gives it a nice spicy warmth. It’s rich, dark, sweet (but not overly sweet) and smells incredibly sexy. A HUGE compliment getter.

The best part?

This is totally unisex, so both you and your significant other can smell amazing.

Mature & Sophisticated

Side Effect is a sophisticated mature scent more suited for the 25-up crowd and best worn in the cooler weather: fall/winter (avoid use in the high heat).

Perfect for date nights, special occasions, dinners, nights out, bars, lounges, etc…

Even better…

Super. Long. Lasting.

This is super long lasting. Side Effect is an EDP and has great projection (about 4ft) for the first 3 hours and leaves a gorgeous scent trail.

It then becomes more subtle, and we found it to lasts an impressive 7–10+ hours.

Can you say jackpot? 🙂

Now, a quick word of caution, my friend: Be careful not to overspray with this one. Trust me, less is (definitely) more!

1–2 sprays MAX… And you’re golden.

Bottom line:

An amazing fragrance with amazing performance (and an amazing price tag! 🤣)

---

#1 Initio Oud For Greatness

A Sophisticated Dark Spicy Woody Scent

Now:

My friend, please don’t be put off by the name of this fragrance. This is NOT one of those traditional “skanky” animalic type of oud scents. This is a sophisticated, well put together woody scent that contains natural Indian oud oil.

Let’s take a sniff…

Dark & Woody

Oud for Greatness opens with a dark, smoky-woody oud mixed with some sweet saffron, lavender, and a touch of nutmeg.

As it dries down, the oud smooths out, and is joined with a hint of green dark earthy patchouli and musk.

The end result:

Pinch of Spicy Sweetness

A sophisticated dark smoky woody scent with a pinch of spicy sweetness.

Now:

OfG is a mature scent more suited for the 25-up crowd. It’s listed as unisex (but leans masculine), and is best worn in fall, winter, and cool spring nights.

It’s ideal for nights out, dates, casual, special occasions, work/office (spray lightly).

Gorgeous Scent Trail

This is an EDP and projects nicely (just over arm’s length) for the first few hours leaving a gorgeous scent trail.

It then becomes more subtle and sits closer to the skin, inviting people in.

The good news?

Looooong Lasting

You only need 1–2 sprays and you’re good for about 6–10+ hours, so the bottle is going to last you a very, very long time!

Top marks! 🙂

Oh, and I gotta say: the bottle looks awesome!

---

In case you don’t know…

Who are Initio Parfums?

Initio Parfums Prives are a fairly new French luxury niche perfume house that are making waves in the fragrance community.

Here’s the deal:

Initio are all about attraction. You might wonder, what do I mean by that?

Well, when it comes to creating fragrances Initio are not messing about trying to recreate scents that trigger emotions linked to your childhood or remind you of certain places and times etc…

Their concept is simple and clear:

Luxurious & Long-Lasting Fragrances

To create luxurious long-lasting fragrances that make you feel sexy and attractive.

Do they deliver on their promise?

The answer seems to be “YES!” 🙂

But that’s not all…

Attention to Detail

Initio also take great pride with their presentation and attention to detail to their bottles and packaging.

There fragrances come in beautifully-designed bottles that have a soft rubber-like textured coating, which is adhered with their diamond-shaped logo on the front.

Also note, the name of each fragrance does not appear on the front label as it is engraved on the top of the cap. (With the exception of their new Supercharged collection bottles. These bottles are transparent dark glass, and the name of each fragrance is printed on the front label.)

Very cool.

Also, the bottle comes in premium packaging (that also has the rubber-like texture coating). The box opens up to reveal the bottle sitting in a soft velvet podium.

They look, feel, and smell premium.

‘What was long suspected has finally been proven… the power of scent unconsciously influences our behaviour.’ — Initio Parfums Prives.Click to Post

Which brings us to…

The Initio Parfums Collection Explained

Initio Parfums use super high-quality ingredients and collaborate with some of the world’s best perfumers to create their collection.

Currently they have 6 distinct collections:

• The Absolutes (black bottles with silver & red-colored label)
• The Magnetic Blends (black bottles with gold-coloured label)
• The Carnal Blends (purple bottles with gold-coloured label)
• The Black Gold Project (black bottles with sacred-symbol design)
• The Hedonist Collection (white bottles)
• The Supercharged Collection (Transparent dark-glass bottles with black labels)

Let’s take a closer look:

The Absolutes Collection

The Absolutes focus on high quality raw natural ingredients that have been blended to create super unique fragrances. Currently, there are 4 scents in this collection.

The Magnetic Blends Collection

Magnetic Blends focus on the future. Initio worked with a laboratory to synthetically reproduce the exact identical molecules of some of the perfume world’s most seductive natural elements (such as ambergris and deer musk).

Now:

These are said to blend with the natural body odour to act as a pheromone amplifier and can be worn alone or used to blend other perfumes on top, to give them a kick (layering).

The Carnal Blends Collection

The Carnal Blends were inspired by a study performed by German researchers, that showed that hedione (a jasmine derived synthetic molecule) supposedly activated the part of the brain linked to pleasure.

‘Unique scent molecules trigger attractions and impulses in their wake. INITIO honours this supernatural yet scientific dimension of fragrance by infusing its creations with a mysterious power.’ — Initio Parfums Prives.Click to Post

So:

Initio decided to overdose all the bottles in the Carnal Blends collection with up to 50% of the hedione molecule.

Seriously. 🙂

Update: Originally, there was 3 different scents released in this collection. However, the brand has discontinued 2 of them, so now only Magnetic Blend 7 remains.

The Black Gold Project Collection

This collection focuses on the precious scent of Oud. If that’s your jam, you won’t want to miss our best oud fragrances battle. Proven heavy hitters for those of you wanting some positive attention.

The Hedonist Collection

The Hedonist collection is all about purity and putting pleasure first. The project behind this collection was to source all natural ingredients.

Which leads us to…

The Supercharged Collection

The Supercharged collection is the brand’s newest collection. Initio say the fragrances in this collection aim to trigger joy and uplift your mood using their proprietary fragrance molecule system, which they have coined the “JOYDROP Complex”. 

This science-based JOYDROP Complex is said to contain multiple fragrance molecules. More specifically, molecules that could stimulate key neurological pathways in your brain that trigger and intensify pleasure and energy — aka activate dopamine!

So there we have them; the full collection.

We would love to hear from you:

What are your favorite Initio colognes? What one do you want to try?

Or maybe you have a question.

Either way, please let me know by leaving a quick comment below right now.

Where to go from here?

For some more similar recommendations check out our top Parfums de Marly fragrances.

We hope you enjoyed our article and found this list useful. If you did, we would love it if you would please share it to your favourite social networks!