Initial Boucheron for women

I am starting to wonder whether the house of Boucheron has a conscious ambiguity agenda going, as INITIAL, like so many other perfumes of this house (with the notable exception of the original powerhouse BOUCHERON) refuses to commit to a category or even to exhibit any sort of consistency from wearer to wearer. To my nose, this creation begins briefly with a tangerine/mandarin-spiciness evocative of the openings of a number of florientals familiar to me.

However, as INITIAL develops, a very strange mid-stage emerges, in which the pepper and cassis leaf (I presume) somehow combine to produce a dry cigarette-ash effect. It does not smell dirty here, as in Givency HOT COUTURE (which I do not like at all—in part because of the artificiality of the raspberries in that composition). Instead of smelling like a dirty ashtray, INITIAL mimics during its mid-stage (which lasts a few minutes) the scent of clean cigarette ashes—as oxymoronic as that may sound.

But wait, there's more: in the drydown, this perfume morphs again--at least on my skin, and according to my nose--into a honeyed-almond layer which lingers on and on and seems to bear no relation to the dry cigarette-ash stage, although it's not completely out of synch with the citrus-oriental opening.

Overall, I'd say that the identity of INITIAL is very difficult to pin down: it capriciously defies categorization and seems to manifest different notes to different wearers and even to the same wearer at different times. Given its manifest elusiveness, I'm not really surprised that this perfume was discontinued. The one thing that I can confidently assert is that INITIAL is both nonlinear and unique!

Absolutely love this one! Soft but at the same time intensive, not loud but there all around me. Fresh and crisp in topnote - I can also detect mint. wonderful, maybe not a sexy scent but an adult woman-scent. I bought a sample today 5ml - I want the larges bottle there is.. but nowhere to be found...If someone in Sweden have one - please let me know.

Bara älskar denna doften. Mjuk men ändå tydlig, inte högljudd men den finns här runt mig. Fräsch och krispig med mint i toppnoten. helt makalöst underbar. Kanske inte råsexig doft men absolut en doft för kvinnan mitt i livet. köpte 5ml prov idag - och vill ha en större flaska. om någon i sverige har det och vill sälja/byta mejla mig.

The new century dawned with so much promise for Boucheron. Initial would be the final official launch from the house.

The bottle just feels good in your hand and its luscious sheen is just like a pearl. The contents set a minor trend that briefly inspired the industry. It opened with cassis and quickly presents the white pepper. Then the honey coated jasmine and rose darts in and out gracefully. There are traces for other flowers, which I cannot define. Its masterfully composed and indeed smells like a pearl-left to your imagination...

YSL Nu followed this trend. Both were commecial flops. Or were they? The new market was pushing for childish celebrity offerings and elegant treasures from French couture houses were old fashioned.

"to cast pearls before swine". Thank you, Boucheron for such graceful beauty. I shall file it away to remember when style was in fashion.

flowers dipped in a honey pot I

sublime!!!

I just bought this bottle (parfum) and this is quite an interesting scent. It reminds me of Boucheron de Boucheron as a base, but... It's got a lot more. It has a little bit sour-sweet. When that's gone the oriental part kicks in together with some powder-soap and then... I even smell some woody-moss.

Well done, Boucheron. Very intersting.

I looooove Initial! I purchased it when it first came out, because I love the original Bourcheron, and this one is a winner too! I received so many compliments on it, mostly from women! It is warm and beautiful, sophisticated, classy! I went through 3 bottles of it! It wasn't as expensive when it first came out, but now it's gone up in price! But I hope I will be able to get another bottle soon. I love the bottle too! Whenever I would take it out of my purse to show women who loved it what it looked like, they would call it an "ornament", but I would correct them and tell them it was suppose to be a pearl drop for a necklace, which is so perfect for Bourcheron since they make the beautiful sapphire ring bottle and they are legendary for making and designing fabulous expensive jewels since the turn of the century. I can easily recommend this fragrance for almost anyone. I adore it!
UPDATE: I just got small bottle of it, and I didn't remember how strong it was! It starts off peppery and almost masculine, but drys down to flowery and powdery and smells very expensive, of course! Is almost a unisex perfume, like Must de Cartier, or Obsession, starts out that way. Very Christmas-y smelling, warm. Recommend it for mature ladies, or maybe feminine men.

This perfume is GORGEOUS GORGEOUS GORGEOUS!! It is indeed creamy fresh and very 'intellectual'. It is one of my Boucheron favorites! LOVE IT!

Ok, this one is discontinued right now.

It is no masterpiece but it is rich and creamy. It reminds me a lot of Gucci-Gucci EDP, the one in the dark brown packaging, also discontinued...

Bigtime almond, patchouli, musk.
I repeat. Almond.

Initial is an odd little perfume. I only have a mini - and it is so adorable, like a little pearl pendant - that I got off ebay, so there's a chance I may not be smelling it in it's freshest form. I am fairly certain though, that it is not a fake, per some other fragrantica members' input.

Top notes are very watery and vaguely honey-ish. On first application, I was thinking it must be fake or old. Then it goes through a little patchouli phase, which smells a tad musty, so again, I'm thinking it's got to be old. But after being patient for a bit, (bout 30 minutes or so), it blooms into a very smooth and sweet honey-almond dry down, At this stage, it is absolutley gorgeous, even though it still seems light - and this review is for the EDP.

The one thing that surprised me about this little gem is the above-average sillage. Like her bolder sister, Trouble, this fragrance has some serious projection. It's mild for the wearer but can still gain compliments from a few feet away. Totally inoffensive, too. I can't see anyone gagging or getting a migraine over this.

So I agree with the "lion dressed as a turtle" statement. It starts off so slow you think you must have a bad bottle, or you've lost your sense of smell. Oh, the horror! But then it does kick in and redeem itself with surprisingly good sillage and acceptable longevity - about 4-5 hours with good sillage and the faintest honey-almond dry down is still with you even 10-12 hours later.

All in all, I like it but I think I would LOVE it if it were a little stronger.

Edited 1-23-11: I do love this and it is becoming my go-to fragrance. A very soft, feminine and easy to wear fragrance.

I can see this as a precursor for the current style of the modern chypre fragrances, that uses a camphoraceus, but sweet, patchouli note attached to luminous fruity tones and some creamy musks sometimes. Initial in the EDP version has this kind of aura, a creamy honeyed musky that shines after a first medicinal almond opening, followed by peppered satined roses. I have to disagree that this is a common scent, common scents barely shines like this one, that seems sophisticated and balanced after the first minutes, when the dissonant almond starts to fade and open space for the beauty scent to glow at skin. A hidden gem, not for everyone I think, but it`s the kind of scent that seems magic when used in the proper skin. Although it seems to me,as other boucheron scents, a fragrance that you would use only in social moments, I would wear it everyday, since the glowing aroma is so appealing and makes me smile.

On me Initial starts pleasantly fruity, with a sweetish hue and then suddenly something green (almost like oakmoss) comes in - must be the cassis leaves and the pepper. Yes, it IS the pepper. Flowery notes join in and render the smell sweeter. I believe I feel some vanilla too adding to the spicy flowers, but as it is not listed it must be the almond. I can't feel the almond by itself otherwise, but what is by now a honey, musky drydown. I am wearing Initial in warm weather and it is soft and undisturbing, an oriental touch to my whole person. I could wear it to work without annoying anyone, and this is what i will do.

still, it has been discontinued... what a pitty ! such an elegant, charming perfume ! at first is too oriental - probably the pepper gives me this impression - but after it dries down, it becomes so sweet and pleasant... so unique and highly recognisable... a true signature. discontinued, though...

At first you get the scent of orange
wrapped with spices and warm amber
Cozy fragrant Imaginings of a Old Victorian Fireplace on christmas eve
a rocking chair rocks back and forth
comly listioning to the sound fire
Crakling Misoltoe on top of the archway
faint sounds of tinkling music boxes playing. or in the scene from The Age of Innocence when Madame Olenska and Newland Archer suble erotic chemisty

or russia Before the revolution when
Tsars ruled with Ambered walls decked with fine paintings of great masters
Leo Tolstory with his Anna Karenina
Onegin wondered though
St Peter's Squaire Like a Person without a soul after his Doomed love for Tatyana. the sweet Soft sounds of the balakas playing. this was a world
before Lenin Stalin and Communist Regime
Distroyed it Forever.

these are the thing i imagine when i wear this. a bittersweet Sojourn in a bottle.

It's my mother's favorite perfume. Very elegant, warm and easy-to-wear, sweet but not too strong.

A typical winter perfume. I can imagine that they used the pearl to describe it.
Soft, shiny, romantic and memorable.

I spray it on in december, remembering Christmas with chocolate, warm and tender. Heavy oriental, but also delicate and soft to the skin. I will never forget Initial.

For me, Initial is a lovely smelling lesson in patience. It is a lion dressed as a turtle. Initially, pun intended, I sprayed it, sniffed and sighed unimpressed. Some fruits, that may have been overripe, and a little vanilla/amber hit me without much charm. BUT, I left it on. As the day carried along, I kept noticing the perfume getting sweeter and warmer as though it was melding into my skin and turning into a keeper. By the end of the night, I was completely into it. The best words for it are warm, rich, thick and lush. It would go well with fine fabrics. I am a fan for sure.

Elegant, classical, a bit oriental; something that was fashionable like a 40 years ago. I imagine that Elizabeth Taylor used to wear something like this. Maybe she still does for the sake of the good ol' times.

I agree with asilverfire614 about the notes blending once past the tangerine opening. There's some dusky rose brightened by the jasmine, but I get no pepper, and -happily!- can't pick out the patchouli (to which I'm normally hypersensitive). I find it hard to believe there's no violet listed in the notes because I pick up a strong undercurrent of violet here, which I like very, very much.

What comes through most prominently for me are the almond and honey notes that linger in a rather rich, syrupy way. I can't wear this in hot weather but in cool/cold temps it's mesmerizing.

For perspective, let me say that I love more than a couple in the Boucheron line! Jaipur Saphir is my favorite, with the classic coming in 2nd, Miss coming in 3rd and the original men's in 4th spot. Each of these is distinctive in its own way and each seems a much deeper overall bouquet & has excellent lasting power. (Initial does not last on my skin in warm weather, only cold.)

Maybe I'm crazy, but this perfume doesn't smell at all like its notes suggest it should. The only notes I recognize, from start to finish, are tangerine in the top notes and a strong musky rose in its base.

Something about this reminds me of Chanel #5, and I can't quite figure out what. It happens to be something I don't like, which is a pity, because this bottle is absolutely gorgeous.

On my skin, after the tangerine wears off it becomes very powdery and soapy...not my type of fragrance at all. It's very strong and cloying to my nose and I just can't appreciate it. I find after several hours it is more wearable, but for me, just not worth the time to get to just being pleasant.

In one word: Luxurious!

I was told I just HAD to buy this by a friend. So of course I did and its ok.
Initally there is a spicey floral tone then sweet powder drydown. The bottle is so pretty. My man really was impressed by it! It is beautiful but not my style. If you love a floral oriental. And more of a rich womanly scent, this would delight you!!

spicy,oriental with some flowers scents.Then the spicy and warm notes become stronger.definitely sensual but not very feminine.it fulfills you with the notes of leafs and patchouli.I'm not agree with those who call it a disappointment.but I believe it's not a suitable fragrance for everybody & every day.I call it Eve's fragrance(maybe the name initial refers to this point too)Only a strong woman can wear it whether she's boss,manager or lawyer,but the mature woman who is enough strong to take this one.

by this reviews i'm seriously doubting on buying it now. i am fascinated by the botlle though. i don't know... it is so hard to find in stores for testing. i don't know if i want to risk it

I expected this to become one of my favourites but it turned out to be a disappointment. It doesn't last long on my skin and the drydown is somehow unimpressive and soapy. The bottle is really cute, though.

Goes on as a rich, densely noted oriental, but dries down on me as many orientals do, in an smokey, ash-tray amber. Starts great, ends unfortunately.

I was disappointed when i smelled it. I thought it would be very feminine and sensual, however it has strong masculine notes. It reminds me of opium.

Initial parfume by Bucheron is my total scent but it's been discontinued - I have bought some bottles on line but dont want to buy really old perfume that's been sitting in someone's shelf for a long time. Does anyone know of a similar parfume?

This smell make me feel good...My favorite one..so different from the others..

Too strong and sweet for me. I used it only a few times. Good for cold weather.

Now, as I'm wearing Initial and testing it, after about an hour it seems to turn into a light, clean, almost soapy scent on me, which is rather different from the powerful beginning. It's even lovelier and more elegant.

This is a very special one, not for eeryone, not for everytime. I agree that it's rich, but also sensual, a warm floral with a fruity headnote and a beautiful, classic base. Am I mistaken if I say there's a slight similarity between YSL Nu edt and Initial edt? Anyway, in my opinion, if you like Nu, you won't be dissapointed with Initial either.

wonderful worm ,rich parfum. i prefer it winter and cool autumn.