7 Best Initio Parfums Prives Fragrances (2023 Reviews)

#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 like 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.

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.

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

The beautiful part:

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

Great.

Date Nights

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

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, 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 plus hours!

Can you say jackpot? 🙂

#6 Initio Atomic Rose

Fresh Citrusy Rose

First things first…

As the name suggests, this is a (unisex) rose based scent and 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…

Atomic Rose is Initio’s latest release in their Carnal Blend collection. But, does it live up to its name?

Heck yeah! 🙂 Let’s take a look…

Sparkling Peppery Citrus

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

Bam!

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 more suited for the 25-up crowd and is unisex (leans slightly feminine).

The best part:

This works well all year except in the high summer heat. More suited for dressed up occasions, nights out, etc… and is perfect for date nights (if your date likes rose). 🙂

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 creating a nice scent bubble around you that lasts 8 plus hours.

Great.

Now, a quick word of warning:

Less is More

Be careful not to overspray this one. You only need 1–2 sprays MAX or this could become annoying to others around you (it will fill a room!).

Bottom line:

Rose lovers, 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 name?

In my opinion: YES! 🙂

Let me break it down for you…

Warm & Rich

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

Nice!

And 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 a subtle leather accord creeps into the background 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 attracts a LOT of positive attention. (Not complaining!)

The beautiful part:

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

Great.

Absolute Aphrodisiac is more suited for the mature 25-up crowd and best worn in cool weather: fall & winter (avoid use in the high heat).

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. 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, then sits closer to the skin, lasting around 8–10 plus hours.

That said:

Don’t go crazy with the sprays. 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 Sexy 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!

Rich

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

By the way, 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. The smooth creamy milky sandalwood and warm amber take center stage joined with a dose of musk and a hint of vanilla sweetness.

Nice.

Warm & Addictive

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

It’s deep, rich, warm and addictive. HUGE compliment getter.

Bold

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.

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 to 3 hours leaving a nice scent trail…

It then calms down to create a gorgeous scent bubble around you and lasts an impressive 7–10 plus hours.

Great.

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 Spicy 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 it 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 some creamy sandalwood, cedar and vetiver join the party…

…followed with a hint of smoky guaiac wood, some fruity earthy patchouli and a pinch of vanilla sweetness.

The end result?

Smooth

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

And it smells AMAZING.

This 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.

Versatile

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. It projects within arm’s length for the first 1 to 1.5 hours, then 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 plus hours.

Great. 🙂

#2 Initio Side Effect

Sweet Sexy 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 vibe.

Nice.

Now, as it dries down… some creamy vanilla and cinnamon morph with the rum and tobacco to leave 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 sexy.

HUGE compliment getter.

The best part?

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

Great. 🙂

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 lasts an impressive 7–10 plus hours.

Can you say jackpot? 🙂

A Little Goes a Long Way

Now, a quick word of warning, be careful not to overspray with this one. Less is (definitely) more:

1–2 sprays MAX… And you’re golden.

Bottom line:

An amazing fragrance with amazing performance.

#1 Initio Oud For Greatness

A Sophisticated Dark Spicy Woody Scent

Now:

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 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. Listed as unisex (but leans masculine) and best for fall, winter and cool spring nights.

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 MAX and you’re good for about 6–10 plus hours.

Top marks! 🙂

Bonus: 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

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.

The fragrances come in beautiful bottles that have a soft rubber-like texture coating, adhered with their logo on the front (the name of each fragrance is engraved on the top of the cap).

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 PrivesClick To Tweet

Which brings us to…

The 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 5 distinct collections:

• The Absolutes (black bottles with red logo)
• The Magnetic Blends (black bottles with gold logo)
• The Carnal Blends (purple bottles)
• The Black Gold Project (black bottles with sacred symbol design)
• The Hedonist Collection (white bottles)

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.

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 PrivesClick To Tweet

So:

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

Seriously. 🙂

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.

Which leads us to…

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.

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 share it to your favourite social networks!