Hedonist

Paragon Initio 2022

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8.2 / 10 1181 Ratings

A popular perfume by Initio for women and men, released in 2022. The scent is creamy-fruity. The longevity is above-average. It is still in production.

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Main accords

Creamy

Fruity

Sweet

Woody

Spicy

Fragrance Notes

White sage

Lavender

Palo Santo

Sandalwood

Bergamot

Black pepper Oud

Oud

Ratings

Scent

8.21181 Ratings

Longevity

8.11069 Ratings

Sillage

7.61061 Ratings

Bottle

8.51032 Ratings

Value for money

6.7910 Ratings

Submitted by multiple users, last update on 07/26/2025.

Interesting Facts

The fragrance is part of the "Hedonist" collection.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Vintage Radio

Paradigm

Al Nashama

Orodion Blanc

Fièvre Verte

Beast Love

Reviews

35 in-depth fragrance descriptions

02/21/2024

8
Pricing 10
Bottle 9
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Nanaafromgha
145 Reviews

Nanaafromgha

3

The scent of pure comfort

Wow, what a fragrance. I used to be someone that was pretty indifferent to woodies, but as my nose is “maturing”, I’m finding myself being drawn to them. That being said, Paragon is definitely one of the best woody aromatics I’ve ever smelled.

As the review below said, I wasn’t expecting to get such a large dose of the plum, but it really balances the forest of woods and herbs surrounding it. To me, it’s unisex leaning ever so slightly masculine, and it’s absolutely so gorgeous. It’s the perfect scent to wear literally whenever because it doesn’t shout, but it stays present and reminds you it’s there. It’s clean, cozy, and comforting, but also kind of sensual? It has this smoothness that draws you in, and the sweet touch of plum just adds a bit of cheekiness. I really enjoy it a lot. I blind picked this one in a raffle-type contest that I won and I’m so glad I took a chance on it.

The projection is really strong at first, but it settles down after about two hours and gradually dwindles into a skin scent by hour 7-8 and onward. My fav so far from Initio and I can’t wait to test it in the warmer weather.

10/19/2022

5
Pricing 8
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 8.5
Scent

NicheOnly
85 Reviews

NicheOnly

5

The sample tricked me

Edit: I originally wrote this review in mid-October 2022, around 2 weeks after Paragon was first revealed by Initio. What I have since found is that the experience previously described in this review did not align whatsoever with my full bottle experience. As such, I revised this review in March 2023.

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As somebody that's fairly deep in the hobby now, I typically start off thinking about the accords, notes, and comparables. "Paragon" opens feminine-aromatic and sweet, most resembling women's hair products or something among those lines as it has that known (well-recognizable) musky-type sweetness. But the opening and top notes don't tell the story of Paragon. In the instant drydown, you get a lot of aromatic-woody tones with a considerable amount of smokiness from the palo santo in the base. It's definitely not Amouage type smoky, but it is noticeable.

For scent comparables, objectively speaking I don't think there are any. The opening has resemblance to the musky tones found in "Musk Therapy | Initio", a different scent in the Hedonist collection. The opening has vibes resembling scents like Dear Polly Eau de Parfum and Gris Charnel Eau de Parfum, but that is more-so to describe the accords of Paragon and not the scent. In the deep drydown, I find some resemblance to Imperator which is a creamy sandalwood fragrance.

My experience differed between the sample and the bottle as the sample had a lot more of the fruity-musky opening tones relative to the aromatic-woody-smoky tones that are in majority with my full bottle. As such, the scent that I previously found to open feminine and dry leaning feminine is now a leaning feminine open into a leaning masculine drydown. However, the other 2 Hedonist collection scents are more clear as Musk Therapy has a clear feminine lean and Rehab has a clear masculine lean.

Initio has subsequently to the release raised the price of the 90ml from €245 to €250, with US customers getting hit even harder. To me, Paragon is a spring aromatic and gets moderate sillage for up to 3-4 hours, with longevity between 8-10 hours. The scent is worth a look for somebody looking for a fairly unique smelling spring-fall fragrance. Scent does not perform well in winter weather and isn't the most fitting for summer.

11/06/2024

10
Scent

Redrot
27 Reviews

Redrot

3

cool mountaintop air

The plum is tart and juicy, the sage and lavender are herbal and licorice-spicy, the palo santo is airy and elevating. Wish I could afford it...

I'm standing on top of a mountain I've just summited, looking out over a green valley and over to other peaks. The fresh, thin air swirls in my lungs, burning pleasantly against my hot insides.

04/01/2023

8
Bottle 6
Sillage 7
Longevity 7
Scent

EnomisCVD
138 Reviews

EnomisCVD

4

Therapeutic white

Paragon is the newest addition to Initio's Hedonist Collection: a collection designed to offer fragrances centered on the use of notes and raw materials that have been used for therapeutic purposes (for mind and body) for millennia.
Palo santo and white sage, with purifying properties.
Lavender with a calming effect.
Black pepper and bergamot for a hint of energetic fizz.
It sounds like a herbal recipe when said so, but Initio has managed to interpret all these characteristics into a modern, lighthearted fragrance.
Woody, but not dry; creamy and aromatic.
White.
A relaxing, calm scent that doesn't shout but stays close to you and warms your heart.
When you don't expect it, it makes itself felt and even those around you notice it and are intrigued by the aroma floating in the air.
It is quite straightforward and does not enjoy much evolution, but it can hardly fail to please
It is precisely in its simplicity that it does not leave one indifferent.
Despite being a lover of complex and "loaded" fragrances, I must say that Paragon really won me over.

12/30/2024

4
Pricing 8
Bottle 7
Sillage 9
Longevity 9
Scent

Karapar12
2 Reviews

Karapar12

3

Great fall/winter/spring signature

Plump and juicy plum, aromatic/incensey qualities with the white sage and palo santo bringing also a green element to the fragrance, overall fruity/woody being perfectly unisex. Great signature scent (I just wouldn't use it in the high heat.)

Longevity is great, lasting anywhere from 8-10hours, projection is a bit lacking though. Maybe it's because I have a 80% alcohol content bottle but I do have to overspray a bit. Solid 9/10.

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