Are Initio Fragrances the same in 2023? New VS Old Batch Comparison 

I appreciate your feedback on my works. Thank you for your support.

@@brian19869I know you said you were letting it macerate. Has it gotten better?

Hey. Yes, I've noticed quite the improvement and the scent profile is slowly falling into place. I'll still give it this month and then give it a full wearing. Maybe if it's cold enough tomorrow, I'll do a full wearing tomorrow at work and see. Thank you for reaching out. Once I feel things are looking good, I'll definitely put up an update video. 🙏

@@brian19869thank you! Don’t feel too comfortable spending that much now..

Thank you for sharing your experience. I would recommend that you use up some of the fragrance and then let that bottle sit for some time. I've let mine sit for like several months and then noticed some positive changes. Hoping it works for you too. As long as you've sourced it from a legit place, you're all good. Just that the brand is probably making certain changes which of course is not something we expected.

I guess there really needs to be a thing called fragrance consumer advocacy group. Man it wqs so frustrating to see not only the whole thing change on the packaging, but also how they diluted the juice too. 😔

Yeah. Proving that we only pay for brand value.and not the product.

You provided some good insight. Thank you for sharing

This is very disheartening to be honest. Mine has been macerating and last week I did 2 sprays and it seems like coming back to its roots. But this is not what is expected from a renowned niche house.

⁠​⁠@@brian19869what does macerating mean?

Hey bro, I can help you out. I’m not sure if it had been reformulated but I have a 2022 batch 80% volume. And all the new batches are also 80% vol. This is super beast mode, it projects crazy and the longevity is incredible. It’s a new bottle, as I just opened it. So it’s not brand new or had time to macerate. It’s really good, I recommend it. I got 16 hours with this monster until it was a skin scent. Around the 12 hour mark it was lighter but still good. After 14 ish it was more of a skin scent.

@@Fragaddictx56I appreciate the info man 👌

Yep. If the just sold the bottle in a brown bag, I'll be totally ok, but changing compromising the fragrance is at a whole different level. I also don't think it's fair that they'll still charge as much and there's always a chance of price hike for compromised items 😔

@@brian19869Absolutely

Very recently, I've found several fragcomm members who bought the latest batches and say that it performs great. The depth and character is there too. Now, I'm not sure how experienced they are or how long they have been in the game, but I still recommend going to the store and testing on skin thoroughly. Also, I really appreciate your feedback on my work. Helps me stay encouraged.

@@brian19869all the best for you brother, it’s getting hard to get real info from videos nowadays as all of them are made to get views, you’ve done it perfectly 👍👍 thanks for reply I’ll probably leave that thoughts about reformulation and I’ll get 2023 Batch 🤷‍♂️

​@@lovehateemo2183honestly, unless you get very lucky, you're probably never going to score an older batch anyway. So if the company is making ammendments to the quality and product, then it's always a good thing. This I said to try out a recent batch before buying. It's not cheap so spend wisely. Thank you for sharing your feedback. Means a lot.

@@brian19869hahaha I’m not gonna lie mate, I got scammed twice on these 77% batches, got my refund but they do smell different cuz they fake🤣🤔🤣 placebo is a thing to consider

Reformulation is very much real. We as fragheads know that reforms happen due to raw material scarcity or regulations, but what bothers me is that the performance takes the worst hit and in many cases the whole fragrance is changed. Then they strip off the luxury part and yet keep charging the same price 😞. I was super shocked when i came across this Initio situation. Got several of the older ones with that nice cushion n velvet interiors. The fragrance smells deep and rich. But this 2023 bottle just depressed me.

How did u get a hold of the old ones??​@@brian19869

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It lasts longer now that it has been sitting for so many months. The longevity is there, but the loudness is certainly toned down. Not like it used to be.

Fair enough. I just scanned the QR code of mine using one of those QR code apps and it brought up an entirely different product. So mine might really be fake omg😭

I know, right? Really frustrating

Same

yea, me too. my batch code is 3483152A. What is the A? I even went to the store afterwards and asked if it was fake.

@@dinopalavra876 At first it smells like rubber. It also triggers migraines. However, after 30 minutes or 1 hour, it becomes a more established scent. Cherry is quite dominant.

@@dinopalavra876 It's sad that such a smell has become like this :( But I will still keep it and use it.

I'm definitely seeing some positive changes. 🙂

@@brian19869could you please tell me the longevity and projection for you now? i have a new bottle but idk if i want to let it sit

I don't have a chronological record. Sorry about that. Up until 2022 I believe they were still selling the same juice.

Thank you for sharing and confirming the facts I mentioned. Always good to hear back experiences.

@@brian19869Have you noticed any huge changes while it’s been mancerating?

I'm not getting enough time, but the new batch has been macerating for months now. Did some sprays and it seems to have improved quite a lot. Now, it's too warm in NYC to find out the performance, so I'll just wait for a day when it rains and gets a bit cooler 🤞

I just sent INITIO a long email telling them how disappointed I am with this situation sent them all the batch numbers that I have compared to the 2023 batch numbers and let them know how I’m livid at that fact that the potency is very weak compared to the 2019 or before batches

Can't blame you cuz you have every right to be upset. I mean this is no cheap fragrance. It's an expensive one shouldn't have to go through this trauma of bad performance.

@@los842did you get an answer?

Did they respond yet?

Did they respond budy ?

It's because the brother and sister that owned initio and perfumes de Marley sold out their companies and so, what do you think will happen?!? They water down the fragrances. On another note, the new 2024 release of narcotic delight, people are saying you might as well buy designer frags, because that is the quality that you're getting in that fragrance. Ugh..... I loved the house of initio and perfumes de Marley was a çlose second.

It's so sad to see such things take place when a brand changes ownership. Ever since this happened with this bottle of Side Effect, honestly, I don't feel like buying another Initio fragrance. Kinda lost trust.

@@FraterIgniUmbra-ci7gv yea idk how they get away with calling these eau de parfums and extrait de parfums. narcotic delight "edp" is 83% alcohol, and versace dylan blue, a "edt" is 79%.

Welll, one is to hold a very bright light source close to and behind the bottle in a dark rook. Alternatively, you can keep the bottle in the fridge (not the freezer) for like 5~15 mins (depending on bottle material thickness) and carefully take it out without disturbing the contents of the bottle. Once you take it out, you'll see condensation forming starting at the level of juice in the bottle. It's gonna be like when you pour some cold water in an empty glass and how condensation forms.

with 1 spray

Yes, I've seen several people post about how they have different boxes for a 2023. Also, someone reported couple of days ago that their recent bottle performed very well. This was from a freshly opened one and not something that he kept on the side. Maybe, the company is working to fix things. 🤔

guess what, i got the same exact problem, same batch code too

Oh no. Mine has been sitting for a long time now and I must say it has greatly improved. But that doesn't justify the fact that such an expensive fragrance will behave like this.

Hey there. Honestly I haven't cuz that older bottle is finished now. Whatever last remaining juice was there, I already finished it. The new bottle doesn't seem to have a bad atomizer though. Maybe that's why it never caught my attention.

@@brian19869 Thank you for responding! Through time with the new Bottle of yours did you notice any change in terms of scent or performance? I don't believe much in maceration but honestly with my experience with fragrance houses I sometimes doubt their quality control...

Yes, indeed the fragrance has changed. It smells richer than before. Lasts better than before. I'm on the same page as you with the QC thing. Guess they're selling a brand name rather than a product.

You'll either need to keep an eye on fragcomm groups if someone is selling. Or if you get lucky and a store nearby has it. Sometimes there are stockists who sell off their goods, but you need to have connections too. Good luck.

This one has a tendency to overwhelm the senses, so if you ask for my personal opinion, then yes, you can wear it in summer nights. Just make sure it’s not a hot and humid day. It’s rather pleasant on those cool breezy summer nights and definitely go easy on the number of sprays.

I think that's a possibility since some other fragcomm members did mention it too. Must be one of those situations where they had older boxes, but newer bottles. 🤔. As long as you bought from a legit source, it's all good.

My batch is 3483152A , is it ok to have letter in batch code

Nope. I think they're changing things a bit. Remember how Prada L'Homme's batch code changed once the brand ownership changed?

@@brian19869 my perfume seens original , so i think maybe its because they change things

Yes, for sure. If you're confident that you purchased from an authentic seller, it's all good.

As long as you're not paying full retail and the price isn't hurting you much, then I say go for it. I've left my bottle to macerate since the making of this video and just yesterday, I did 2 sprays to see if there's any change. Good news is that things are looking much better now. I'm going to let it sit for several more months. Probably do an update video too.

I guess a lotta people already got their hands on the new release of Narcotic Delight. Almost all of them are saying it's great, but none have mentioned about Side Effect for comparison. The people I'm talking about are fragheads and not reviewers so, I kinda trust their judgment. I'll wait a bit for the prices to cool down a bit with my connects. 🤞

I completely understand what you're trying to say here, but doesn't it become concerning as to why "these other reviewers" had the exact same bottle and font? Well lemme tell you something. How many of those reviewers do you think bought their own bottle? Chances are very high that they were given the bottle for free from the same source so things will easily match. If you go over the comments on this video, you'll soon realize how many normal consumers actually bought the stuff from legit sites/stores and have validated that the changes I mentioned are very legit. I'm not judging you for what you said. Rather I'm mentioning facts.

@@brian19869 yeah me neither, I just found what you were talking about genuinely interesting and did some research. I'm not here to prove you wrong or anything like that. Great review and I appreciate your effort because I needed to know this information about fraudulent business practices with the brand, I literally just ordered a bottle of side effect yesterday.

@upsetuloss it's really sad to see such practices by these brands.

@brian19869 Update, just got my Side Effect bottle from OlFacturyfactury for 200 and my bottle is exactly the same as your newer 2nd bottle with the exact same label with batch number 3042301. I've been wearing it for 6 hours, it stopped projecting after 3 hours on clothes, but it's still going strong on skin with a magnificent silage. If someone steps in my personal space, they will be in for a pleasant surprise. It may just take well to my skin, but this thing is a beast on me. Again, thanks for the video.🫡

Thank you for sharing your experience in detail. Was your newer batch box loke mine as well? As in the newer batches have all paper material for the presentation. Older ones had a plastic box inside

Your best shot will be of you buy from a legit seller directly or able to work with any supplier who can confirm they havenolder batch for sale.

@@brian19869 any suggestions?

@@brian19869 any suggestions?

I'll be making an update video soon. Had left that bottle to macerate and I can see changes...good ones. But yes, I have lost faith in them.

I guess it’s totally ok to cut corners with packaging n stuff, but when they alter the fragrance itself, it’s such a sad thing. At first, I thought it was smelling different cuz it’s a brand new bottle. Then over then next couple of wearings, it seemed very obvious.

​@brian19869 supposedly there doing it for pdm too same company owns both

Yes. I keep seeing many recent purchases getting flagged for the same reasons. 😔

Is that number same under the bottle?

@@brian19869 sorry for the late reply. the number below the box and the bottle match. they both have “3042301” as the code. is there anyway i can show you what i mean through pictures?

Sure. You can DM me the picture to my Instagram. Link in description.

@@brian19869 done, i sent everything in details.

@@brian19869i had the same situation. What did you find out? Thx in advance

I understand what you're talking about. I will try to improve on this part. Thank you. The reason why you find it repetitive is because you probably understand these things easily. Someone who's very new to the game migh be confused. So I just try to put the info in different ways so that they understand. I'll bear your feedback in mind gojng forward. 🙏

​@@brian19869 That made sense :) Thanks a lot for checking your comments for consideration! I appreciate it!

Of course. Constructive criticism is always welcome. You provided a reason for your thoughts and it's for my betterment.

I haven't come across one that has an alphabet at the end of the batch code. At least none that I have in my collection have an alphabet on it. Where did you buy yours from? For sure it shouldn't smell "rubbery".

same

Mine is the sane, I’m suspecting it is fake. But I’m not sure

Oh no. As long as you bought it from a legit source you should be good about the authenticity.

Mine have A too

If they fixed the issue with a later batch, then I'm very happy for you. Really appreciate you sharing the details too.