Initio Parfums Privés: perfume as an emotional force
Initio is led by a creative director who goes only by her first name, Nadia, and who has chosen to keep the perfumes in the spotlight rather than herself. The house says it wants fragrances with a positive aura and a sensual charge, made by combining precious natural raw materials with synthetic molecules, with perfumers working side by side with chemists. The range is organized into collections, including The Absolutes, Magnetic Blends, Carnal Blends, Hedonist and Black Gold Project, and the house also suggests layering fragrances, for example an Absolute with a Magnetic Blend.
Initio fragrances in our range
Oud: Black Gold Project and Oud for Happiness
Oud for Greatness is natural oud wood with patchouli and musk. The Black Gold Project collection then brings its reinterpretation, Oud for Greatness Neo, which the house describes as a meeting of nature and science. Oud for Happiness pairs oud with a breath of herbs the house calls relaxing.
Musks: Musk Therapy, Magnetic Blend 7, Blessed Baraka
Musk Therapy is a milky extrait that combines natural white sandalwood, white musk and pink musk, white magnolia and a touch of cassis. Magnetic Blend 7 is built on a musky molecule that the house links to the pheromonal power of animal musk and that melts into the skin in a crescendo, "like fire under ice," in the house's words. Then there is Blessed Baraka, a sunny fragrance of musk, sandalwood and amber, and Mystic Experience, which pairs musk with coffee and which the house calls a perfume for the initiated, echoing the idea of initiation in the Initio name.
Florals and Hedione: High Frequency, Addictive Vibration
High Frequency pairs magnolia and almond with a high dose of Hedione, the molecule that, according to the house, makes the composition light and airy, and whose name comes from the Greek "hedone," pleasure. The house compares its effect to a sound wave that starts softly and builds on the skin. Addictive Vibration is springlike, with apple blossom petals and orange blossom over honey, creamy vanilla and musk.
Vanilla, pink pepper and sacred plants: Narcotic Delight, Can't Get Enough, the extraits
Narcotic Delight puts vanilla at its center, with pink pepper, cognac, cherry and a hint of cigar. Can't Get Enough also opens on the freshness of pink pepper, and the house presents it as a hypnotic perfume of excess and passion. Among the extraits is Paragon, which revolves around palo santo and white sage in a formula the house intends to be powerful and contemporary, while Rehab is made mostly from natural raw materials, in a modern version the house calls sincere, narcissistic and exclusive.
Perfume as well-being: the house's language
Initio presents its fragrances according to the effects it attributes to them on mood. Musk Therapy, for example, is offered as a "perfume therapy" experience, Oud for Happiness recalls the virtues tradition gives to oud, and Paragon, according to the house, draws on the properties of sacred plants used in rituals. Power Self takes the idea even further: the house describes it as a formula based on a technology it calls neuro-olfactory, designed for emotional well-being.
How to choose an Initio perfume
The simplest way is to start from the material that draws you in, then look at the concentration. For woods and oud there are Oud for Greatness, the Neo version and Oud for Happiness with herbs, while among the musks you can choose from Musk Therapy, Magnetic Blend 7, Blessed Baraka with sandalwood and amber, and Mystic Experience with coffee. If you prefer florals, there are High Frequency, with magnolia and almond, and Addictive Vibration, with apple blossom and orange blossom; for vanilla and pink pepper, Narcotic Delight and Can't Get Enough. For plants and natural materials there are Paragon, with palo santo and white sage, and Rehab. As for concentration, Musk Therapy, Paragon and Rehab are extraits de parfum, while the other fragrances in our range are eaux de parfum.
Body and hair
The Musk Therapy signature also comes in a version for hair: Musk Therapy Hair Perfume leaves a trail the house describes as invisible yet captivating, with an aura of serenity. There are also the body creams Musk Therapy Body Cream and Atomic Rose Body Cream, made with 90% ingredients of natural origin, which moisturize and protect the skin and which the house suggests for amplifying your fragrance. For Atomic Rose Body Cream it also speaks of a magnetic projection of the scent.
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Initio mean?
Initio is a Latin word meaning "from the beginning," and it also recalls the verb to initiate, in the sense of initiation. The name fits the way the house presents its perfumes, as a path that introduces you to new sensations, as names like Mystic Experience or Blessed Baraka also suggest.
Which Initio perfume should I start with?
To start, choose Oud for Greatness or Musk Therapy, the two fragrances that other versions in the range grew out of. Oud for Greatness has its Neo reinterpretation, and Musk Therapy also comes as a hair perfume and a body cream. The choice depends on the family you prefer: oud and woods, or musks.
What is the difference between Oud for Greatness and Oud for Greatness Neo?
Oud for Greatness is the original version, built on natural oud, patchouli and musk. Oud for Greatness Neo is the reinterpretation offered in the Black Gold Project collection, which the house presents as an alchemy between the power of nature and the power of science, and as a self-confidence booster.
What does Initio Musk Therapy smell like?
Musk Therapy is a musky, milky extrait de parfum that combines natural white sandalwood with a high dose of white musk and pink musk, plus white magnolia and cassis. The same fragrance also comes as a hair perfume and a body cream, which the house suggests for amplifying the scent.
Which Initio perfume is best for vanilla lovers?
If you love vanilla, the Initio reference is Narcotic Delight, which the house builds around vanilla together with pink pepper, a sip of cognac, a hint of cigar and a plump, juicy cherry. Fresh, vibrant pink pepper also opens Can't Get Enough, from the same house.
Which floral Initio perfume should I choose?
The Initio florals in our range are High Frequency and Addictive Vibration. The first pairs magnolia and almond with a high dose of Hedione, a molecule that makes the composition airy, while Addictive Vibration is built on apple blossom petals and orange blossom, with honey, vanilla and musk.
Can you layer two Initio perfumes?
Yes, the house itself suggests layering its fragrances, for example one of The Absolutes with one of the Magnetic Blends. The Musk Therapy and Atomic Rose body creams are also designed to be used together with your perfume to amplify it.
What is the difference between Initio eau de parfum and extrait de parfum?
The difference is the concentration, which is shown in the name of each product. In the Initio range, Musk Therapy, Paragon and Rehab are extraits de parfum, while Oud for Greatness, Oud for Greatness Neo, Oud for Happiness, Narcotic Delight, High Frequency, Blessed Baraka, Magnetic Blend 7, Mystic Experience and Power Self are eaux de parfum.
