Initio Parfums Privés

The story

Initio Parfums Privés was born in 2015 in Paris, where it is still based today, on rue de la Paix. Behind the house is Julien Sprecher, the entrepreneur who had already created Parfums de Marly in 2009. With Initio he chose a different path: perfume not as an ornament, but as a force able to act on those who wear it and on those around them. In Paris the house welcomes its guests at Le 320, the boutique on rue Saint-Honoré it describes as “a confidential, mysterious space”.

The name comes from Latin and evokes both the beginning and initiation: the idea is to bring perfume back to its original power. Initio, as the house's own presentation puts it, was born “out of the desire to restore the greatness of perfume”. Its manifesto fits in a few lines: “We create functional fragrances with scientifically measurable effects. We believe that fragrances not only make us smell good but also have the power to make us feel good”. That is why every collection revolves around ingredients chosen for what they trigger: musk and castoreum, oud, Hedione.

The collection has grown chapter by chapter. 2015 saw the debut of the Absolutes, which the house calls “raw, untamed, and ancestral” formulas: Absolute Aphrodisiac, Blessed Baraka and Mystic Experience, followed in 2016 by Addictive Vibration. Magnetic Blend 7, a musk also designed to be layered with the other fragrances, dates from the same debut. In 2016 came the Carnal Blends, ignited by “an overdose of Hedione”: Side Effect and High Frequency, then Psychedelic Love (2017), Atomic Rose (2019) and Narcotic Delight (2024). 2018 is the year of Oud for Greatness, the first chapter of the Black Gold Project devoted to oud, completed by Oud for Happiness (2021) and Oud for Greatness Neo (2024), and of Rehab, the first Extrait of the Hedonist collection, later joined by Musk Therapy (2021), Paragon (2022) and Power Self (2025). In 2025, ten years after its creation, Initio began a collaboration with dsm-firmenich to measure the emotional responses, conscious and unconscious, to its fragrances.

The bottles are instantly recognisable: the same solid shape, a squared cap and a metal plaque at the centre, with one colour for each collection. Black for the Absolutes, deep purple for the Carnal Blends, white for the Hedonist line, black and gold for the Black Gold Project, with a decoration the house links to sacred geometry and the tree of life. The reference size is 90 ml. The best loved are named by Initio itself among its best sellers, “easy to love, difficult to describe, impossible to forget”: Side Effect, Oud for Greatness, Musk Therapy, Atomic Rose and Absolute Aphrodisiac. In 2026 the house opened its first store in London, in Covent Garden. All the fragrances are unisex and made in France.

The collections

At OUD Profumeria Artistica you will find 17 Initio Parfums Privés fragrances, all unisex and in the 90 ml bottle, arranged in the house's collections.

• Carnal Blends: since 2016, Eau de Parfum. Attraction told through carnal accords and “an overdose of Hedione”: Side Effect (rum, cinnamon, tobacco and vanilla), Atomic Rose (Bulgarian and Turkish rose, jasmine and vanilla), Narcotic Delight (cherry, cognac and tobacco), Psychedelic Love (rose, heliotrope and myrrh), High Frequency (magnolia, almond and vanilla).
• Black Gold Project: since 2018, Eau de Parfum. Oud, “noble, rare, relentless”: Oud for Greatness (natural oud, saffron and lavender), Oud for Greatness Neo (oud, bergamot and fir balsam), Oud for Happiness (oud, ginger, licorice and vanilla).
• Hedonist: since 2018, Extrait de Parfum. Well-being as “a gradual experience towards self-accomplishment”: Musk Therapy (white and pink musk, magnolia and blackcurrant), Rehab (lavender, bergamot and sandalwood), Paragon (Palo Santo, white sage and sandalwood), Power Self (white rose, osmanthus and musk).
• Absolutes: since 2015, Eau de Parfum. “Raw, untamed, and ancestral” formulas built around musk and castoreum: Absolute Aphrodisiac (vanilla, amber and castoreum), Blessed Baraka (white flowers, sandalwood and amber), Addictive Vibration (orange blossom, honey and vanilla), Mystic Experience (coffee, musk and patchouli).
• Magnetic Blends: since 2015, Eau de Parfum. Magnetic Blend 7, a musk to wear on its own or layered with the other Initio fragrances.

OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Initio Parfums Privés retailer, online and at the store in Nettuno (Rome).

Frequently asked questions

Who created Initio Parfums Privés and where is it from?
Initio Parfums Privés is a Parisian house born in 2015. It was created by Julien Sprecher, who had already founded Parfums de Marly. Its headquarters are on rue de la Paix, its boutique Le 320 is on rue Saint-Honoré, and all the fragrances are made in France.

Which are the best Initio perfumes?
The best loved are Side Effect, Oud for Greatness and Musk Therapy: they are the first three in the house's own best-seller selection and the most voted by enthusiasts on Fragrantica and Parfumo. Right after come Atomic Rose and Absolute Aphrodisiac. Side Effect is the warmest and most enveloping, Oud for Greatness the most powerful, Musk Therapy the brightest and most delicate.

Are Initio perfumes for men or for women?
They are all unisex: the house says so for every fragrance. Those looking for a bolder character usually turn to Oud for Greatness, Side Effect or Rehab; those who prefer a softer trail to Musk Therapy, Atomic Rose or Psychedelic Love. These are matters of taste, not of gender.

What is the difference between Oud for Greatness and Oud for Greatness Neo?
Oud for Greatness, from 2018, is the house's most powerful and direct oud: natural oud, saffron, nutmeg and lavender over patchouli and musk. Oud for Greatness Neo, from 2024, starts from the same signature and makes it fresher and brighter with bergamot, lavender and fir balsam. The first is woody and spicy, the second aromatic and woody.

What is the difference between Side Effect and Narcotic Delight?
Both belong to the Carnal Blends and share tobacco, vanilla and Hedione. Side Effect, from 2016, pairs them with rum, cinnamon and saffron: it is warm, spicy, made for the evening. Narcotic Delight, from 2024, chooses cherry, cognac and pepper: it is fruitier and more gourmand. Those who love one usually enjoy the other too.

Which Initio perfume comes in the white bottle?
The white bottle belongs to the Hedonist collection, devoted to well-being: Musk Therapy, Rehab, Paragon and Power Self. They are the four Extraits de Parfum you will find with us; all the other Initio fragrances in our catalogue are Eau de Parfum.

Do Initio perfumes contain pheromones?
Initio does not list pheromones among its ingredients. It speaks of “functional” fragrances, built around raw materials chosen for the effect they have on the wearer: Hedione in the Carnal Blends, musk and castoreum in the Absolutes, oud in the Black Gold Project. Since 2025 it has been working with dsm-firmenich to measure the emotional responses to them.

Where can I buy Initio perfumes in Italy?
OUD Profumeria Artistica is an authorised Initio Parfums Privés retailer: you will find the fragrances online and at our store in Nettuno, in the province of Rome. Shipping is free in Italy on orders over €60, and over €100 we add 10 complimentary samples.