Side Effect

If you look at the notes, there isnt a lot about Initio's cult classic Side Effect to excite or go crazy about, and yet it is one of my all time favourite fragrances and one that I cherish like few others. I first came across it at the start of last year on a business trip to Dubai, before I moved here. Initio were not a house I knew much about in all honesty, and I sampled it in the Duty Free shop in the airport on the way home. In and amongst the jungle of D&Gs, Chanels and Armanis I picked up the bottle and it smelt impossibly exotic to me. Not exotic in the sense of far away lands with different cultures but exotic in that I honestly hadn't smelt anything like it before. There is rum in it but it doesnt read boozy and there is saffron in there but it isnt really a saffron fragrance at its heart. It ends up being something else, and that thing smells wonderful. I was sniffing my wrist all the way home and it radiated off me in the way Side Effect does. The lady next to me on the plane complimented me on it as I sat down and the Marechausee agent at Schiphol did again when I landed at AMS. My head was filled around that time with an idea to move back to Dubai, a place I lived in from 2013-2019 and that I consider home, even though I am a Londoner originally. I had all these ideas about improving my life, being better, doing better, going on Mounjaro, fixing things up at home, fixing things up at work and becoming a better version of myself, and Side Effect was the olfactory accompaniment to this. Side Effect is a type of perfumery where the blending masks most or all of the major accords in isolation and makes them sing together in unison to make a different smell that is something more than its constituent parts. It is about the feel and the texture of the fragrance as much as the scent and I instantly connected with it. It walks a fine line between spicy and too sweet, but never steps over it. It so evocative of places I've never been to in cities I don't know, enjoying life with people I've never met. The playful, irreverent boozy note, like a very fine XO Single Cask brandy with Cherry Coke, is more imagined than real. I almost imagine I can smell champagne and cocaine in this as well; again imagined but hinted at. The imaginary version of me is me but better. Funnier, smarter, more confident, fitter, wealthier and cooler. He is the guy who wears Side Effect as his signature scent, and every time I wear it I feel a bit more like the best version of myself. Side Effect smells like what I imagine being completely happy in my own skin feels like. As I get older and wiser, (*and moving back to Dubai for the second time last year has made me more of both in spades*), I have come to realise that I'll never be that guy. I will never have the perfect smile, the AP, the chiseled abs, the eight figure bank account and the respect and universal regard, nee adoration, of others. And that is okay. I am doing okay, my life is on the up and generally I do okay. I am lucky. And I smell fantastic. Not everyone is going to like me but pretty much everyone is going to know I smell fantastic. Side Effect is one of those fragrances I reach for when I need to be reminded that the best version of me is the one staring at me from the mirror and the blessings I have in my life are better than anything I can project onto myself like some cosmic atomiser. It is a reassuring pat on the back and a little wink from the universe, to tell you that you're doing fine and life is good. All true fragrance enthusiasts know what I mean when I talk about the little frissons of something; those stolen moments against whatever drudgery and trauma the world is throwing at you, in spite of the noise and chaos, you wear a certain perfume on a certain day because when you close your eyes and sniff your wrist it all stops. Just for a second it goes quiet and your soul smiles a bit because you smell absolutely incredible. You close your eyes and just bask in the fragrance and allow it to make you feel great. You open your eyes and let the world back in, with the tiniest little self-satisfied smirk on your face. It feels almost masturbatory doesnt it? Almost :) I dare say there are a lot of Side Effect wearers, male or female, who do so for compliments because it is beautiful fragrance that projects nicely and is a reliable source of nice comments from those around you. But I wear it because I love how it smells and how it makes me feel when I smell like that. It stays with me for seven or eight hours and settles into a skin scent after that. In this world today of self doubt, self torture and trying to live up to unrealistic, unhealthy ideals that can only ever defeat you, the gift of a perfume that can make you feel happy in your own skin, if only for a short time, is a wonderful thing indeed. Side Effect is one of a handful of fragrances that does that for me. It tells me I'm moving on up in my own way and I've come a long, long way in the last 12 months. Moving on up and learning to be happy in my own skin smells like Side Effect to me. Three Word Summary - Me Being Me. Scent - 10/10 Sillage - 9/10 Drydown - 9/10 Bottle/Packaging - 9/10 Performance - 8/10 45/50

I’ve sampled over 75 fragrances from most major houses, but I had never heard of Initio or Side Effect. It wasn’t even on my radar. The only reason I found it was because I actually trained AI to analyse every fragrance I’d owned, then asked it to suggest scents that matched my personal profile. One of its top suggestions was Side Effect. At the time I was searching for an evening fragrance. Reflection Man is my signature, but it’s elegant and safe. I wanted something different. Something provocative. Something with edge for date nights and colder evenings. So I bought a sample. I sprayed it in the cap and, honestly, I didn’t like it at all. Something about it didn’t connect. But a few days later, something pushed me to try it properly on skin. That’s when everything changed. On skin it came alive. I was hooked. It became intoxicating. Addictive. I couldn’t stop smelling my wrist. One day I wore six sprays and went out. I remember sitting on the London Underground and feeling the projection almost pulse off me. It was like the whole carriage was being introduced to this scent. Not loud in an aggressive way, but hypnotic. It has presence. Confidence. Even a touch of danger. The scent profile to my nose is marzipan, a hint of leather, maybe a dark chocolate twist. There’s warmth and sweetness, but also depth. It smells like something you could almost eat. That’s just how I process it. Whatever the real notes are, it works. Completely. I later googled it and realised it’s become quite a popular fragrance. Before that search, I knew nothing about the house or their image. This review is purely based on the smell and how it made me feel. To me, Side Effect is a powerful accessory. A statement of intent. It’s not the side effect. It is the full intent.

The greatest strength of the composition lies in its ability to control contrasts. Side Effect manages to be sweet, dark, and sensual at the same time. The spicy nuances add movement and depth, yet they never overpower the central theme. During its evolution, the notes do not feel separate or isolated; instead, they blend into a unified accord, giving the fragrance a highly refined and polished character. Its performance can be considered exemplary for the niche segment. The projection is noticeably powerful during the first hours, while longevity can easily reach 8–12 hours on skin, sometimes even longer depending on skin chemistry. However, the true strength of Side Effect is not simply its intensity, it creates a noticeable yet elegant scent aura without becoming aggressive. It should be mentioned that Side Effect is somewhat close to the modern niche market’s concept of “safe luxury.” Although the composition is high-quality and impressive, some experienced collectors may argue that it is not completely revolutionary from a conceptual standpoint. In addition, the sweet tobacco-vanilla direction has become increasingly popular in recent years, so those searching for something truly unconventional may not find it as unique as expected

I will be very blunt. I never had a niche fragrance before until I went down a boozy, vanilla rabbit hole. To be very clear the older batches we're alot stronger. Now I was very lucky to get a old batch. If you are looking for something with heavy notes of like a boozy, smooth and syrupy, cinnamon scent. This will be a huge go too. Now the price is okay, definitely overpriced when it comes to retail. Id say $200 or lower is a good price. When you hit that $230 it gets iffy for sure. Especially way over that. Now what I will tell you guy's from personal experience this bad boy lasted me all night into the next day after 4pm. It was insane performance. Now what I do know is that the new batches won't typically hit like that. For this type of fragrance thats fine. All you need it to do is last you all night while you are out, whether its a date, special occasion or being intimate. Its definitely very sexy, very complex in all the right seductive ways. Grab a bottle of the old batch if you can, if not that's okay. The new ones are just as sexy.

I've seen some people mention it already, but newer batches of this has a distinct cherry note, or to me, fig. I was offered this in a trade, so i went to my local perfumery to test it out beforehand and fell in love. To me it smelt very similar to gris charnel extrait - much better even. It lacked that sweat smell i pick up from gris charnel extrait, and i thought the top notes were quite similar. I will say i was confused looking at the notes on fragrantica, and i thought the caps had been switched in the store, but no, it was definitely side effect. I even went back to check. I ended up doing the trade and must've gotten an older batch, where the notes listed on fragrantica seems a lot more accurate. I must say I was a little disappointed. Nevertheless a great scent which i will be wearing a bit for the remainer of this winter, but I was definitely a bit surprised. Does anyone know if it actually has been reformulated, or if the one I smelt in store was just not macerated?

This perfume has received a lot of love from the fragrance community since its release. So, I thought it would be a relatively safe blind-buy. I got it and I wasn't too pleased. I didn't know what to expect, but it sure wasn't this - never smelled anything like it. The branding and the purple bottle made me think the scent was something out of the occult. I'm religious so I thought I was smelling something against my belief. Every now and again, I took it out to smell the atomiser because it was strange to me. Little did I know I was acquiring a taste for it. I decided to give it a wearing as winter came around and my mind has changed. Although the opening is still odd to me, I now find it interesting. It is well-crafted and continues to develop on skin. I love the combination of the tobacco with the rum and the sweetness of the vanilla running throughout. One of top two offerings from Initio Parfums.

I tried this a fair few years ago now when I first started collecting and obsessing fragrances. At the time, i didn’t have the nose to appreciate it. I was stuck in a designer phase and struggled to appreciate the smell of tobacco and rum. Things have changed since then and I recently got a complimentary sample card from Initio. Good god! What was I ever thinking? This stuff is beautiful. No wonder it’s Initio’s best known and most hyped offering. I won’t bore you with the note breakdown, the masterful blending or the evolution from top, mid and dry-down. All that I will say is that I couldn’t stop sniffing myself like some crazy, obsessed madman when I re-discovered it. This is a must have for me. Edit - Couldn’t resist. Had to buy it 🙂

Spicy and very boozy vanilla with a hint of tobacco, very well blended so hard to pick individual notes apart but the booziness is intoxicating, in a good way. In the opening this can smell a bit medicinal, I personally like the opening but the dry down is side effect at its best, will never get enough of the smell, my absolutely favorite winter/fall fragrance. Longevity is top tier, lasts all day on me with a nice scent bubble around you. All I can really complain about is that for the price point I'd wish the atomizer was better, the sprays are puny but since its a strong fragrance it works fine

To me this leans super masculine, although I think maybe a specific kind of women could pull this off lmfao. This shit is dark asf, boozy, rich and EXTREMELY cloying. I don’t know if it’s the batch I tried out but this shit is nuclear asf, I could smell it on everything I touched, the food I ate literally tasted like side effect, I kept smelling it in the air even though it was on my forearm with a hoodie on (just 2 sprays btw). This definitely has an almost mass appeal vibe to it but definitely try it if you haven’t owned any dark fragrances. I love this a lot, I think this is full bottle worthy.

This smells incredibly rich. When I smelled for the first time in May or June, it reminded me of Angels Share & Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille but better. I get what ppl sayin about the medicinal opening being a downside, but it goes away fast so who cares 🥱 Decent projection, great sillage, & lasted on my clothing even after washing. I should consider trying on skin, but I plan on getting a full bottle of this & Oud for Happiness in 2026 either way. I wouldn’t recommend blind buying bc the price point, but I feel like Side Effect is safe for someone just getting into niche. Easy 7.5/10

This is my all time favourite fragrance. From the moment I went to a niche store and had a sales person spray it for me, I immediately fell in love with the scent, that boozy, intoxicatingly sweet in all the right ways possible, with a hint of spice and woodiness. Although not all testers are the same i.e. some have saffron more prominent, some have less tobacco, etc. It still remains as my go-to fragrance for special occasions and when I want to wear a fragrance that just represents me in a bottle and scent profile. 11/10 fragrance from one of if not my favourite houses.

Dude... I don't care what people say, I'll always have this in my rotation. I get a compliment every time I wear it men and women. I'm not sure if people think it's more feminine in the air as I move around but I think it's more masculine ? To add to my point, I was at a bar with a girlfriend and the guy bartender said to her "you smell real good" - we looked at each other and both laughed because we both knew it was me. Anyone else think a female could pull this off?? Overall 9/10 great projection and longevity. Cuts through the cold, perfect amount is 6 sprays.

I love this perfume so much that I hardly use it now, as I fear it would finish soon. And I do not have money to buy another bottle. Tobacco and rum opening can be harsh but once it settles saffron cinnamon and hedione creates a perfect scent bubble which lasts. This is Not at all vibrant aquatic citrusy perfume but deep rich boozy and spicy mix for mature men. It gives you the confidence of a millionaire. This so so deep and pleasant fragrance. It appears to be also carrying Khamrah qawah dna or similar accords. But This is by far the best initios I have used.

Initio Siide Effect can cause "Side Effects"- which include: * Constant wrist smelling * Opened Nostrils * Awakened Senses * Body and Skin with a pleasant aroma * confidence * Intoxication * Compliments This smokey, sugar-coated, rich smelling, acutely voluptuous, lonnnnnnng lasting fragrance will have you looking crazy🤪because you will without-a-doubt succumb to non-stop eye rolling from the breathtaking aroma, by reason of constant"wrist sniffing! I've been overtaken, have fallen victim and can't escape. I think I'm intoxicated! Maybe it's from, the Rum 🤣.

The scent is very sweet and rich but feels somewhat unbalanced. Despite this, it is highly addictive and tends to receive positive reactions. About an hour or two after application, it develops a noticeably more feminine character, resembling sweet rose. In the past (2022), it wasn’t just strong in scent- it projected well and lasted a long time. Today, however, it has significantly deteriorated, with much less longevity and projection. Scent:9 Projection/Longevity:7 Uniqueness:8.5 quality:9.5 Value for money:ok Overall:8.5

let me tell you this, this fragrance will get you sniffing yourself like a dog, at first it can smell a bit funky, but intriguing. As the time passes, it will grow on you, but you will still not be completely convinced. And after a few hours, you will be completely addicted to it. At least that's exactly what happened to me. This fragrance is a strange experience for me because I haven't tried many perfumes like this. Yes, it is famous but one of a kind. And it easily can be distinguished and dominating

Koleksiyonumdaki en sevdiğim ve en çok iltifat alan kış parfümü. Bir kızla buluşmadan önce bunu sıkınca kız beni adeta yiyecek gibi oluyor. Tam bir kış date parfümü. Kokuyu betimlemem gerekirse sıcak, şömineli bi odada romunuzu yudumlarken bi yandan küba'dan yeni getirttiğiniz puronun dumanını görüyorsunuz ve hepsi muazzam bir uyumla birleşiyor. Çok tatlı bir koku değil kesinlikle. Adı üstünde "side effect" karşı taraf kokladığında onu adeta büyülüyorsunuz. benim için 10/10 bir koku.

I am not a great fan of Initio, but I literally fell in love with this perfume!! The notes of tobacco, rum and kinda cherry make it so intimate and sexy. I got the sample from the perfume store but I bought the small decant (1 ml) before and fell in love with it. I consider it to be unisex, even though some people think it’s more feminine. May be because of this cherry (????) notes, idk why but I feel something cherry there. Long lasting, it stays on clothes for weeks!! 9/10

Notes: Tobacco, Vanilla, Rum and Cinnamon A gorgeous boozy, creamy vanilla and a spicy concoction. Opens with a fruity note (Cherry), not a fan of the opening but this last for a good 15 mins and then the hard hitting notes start to show their true power, Cinnamon, Vanilla, Tobacco and Rum. This is an Intoxicating fragrance, sexy, rich and potent. In the dry-down I also get hints of Coffee which is not listed as a note. Love this masterpiece. . . Instagram: ovaissaleem_

Ok, bought it blindly without testing first, based on many positive reviews as well as high recommendation of Demi Rawling on youtube...big mistake! Idk why everyone is going crazy about it!? First of all it is very masculine, on me I smelled man all day long, hated it! Yes it is super strong, and yes good quality perfume, don’t over do it this is super strong staff! I prefer psychedelic Love though. Bad idea purchasing expensive perfumes based on someone else's taste.

This fragrance is simply intoxicating. The saffron and cinnamon create an amazing scent trail that feels rich and addictive. Right after the initial sprays, the projection is incredible almost room-filling, yet it never comes across as aggressively in-your-face. After about 3 to 4 hours, the projection softens but still remains noticeable. On me, it lasts around 7 to 8 hours, which is more than enough to make an impression. Not every fragrance needs to last 12+ hours.

this is beautiful in every aspect. sweet + boozy + seductive + long lasting and projects hard asf all in one fragrance. the opening might come off as super harsh and strong but once you let it settle down for 20-30 minutes its just so good man. i have a newer batch from august this year but it still lasts 12+ hours on me and projects hard 7-8 hours. one of the strongest fragrances in my collection for sure and this is a banger 10/10. (please do not blind buy)

A masterpiece. In the sense that its been copied & inspired MANY. Smells like warm love and drunk gummy bears. The saffron adds a slight rubberyness. While the sandalwood, florals, rum, and cinnamon bring this creamy warmth. Simple but addictive. I get 8+ hours with modern projection. Ppl complaining it’s not beast mode missed the point. The ppl that will smell it are the ones that you chose to come close. Better to be discovered than announced.

Such an addictive scent profile. All time classic by Initio that I’ll always recommend to anyone. This is one of the best warm spicy tobacco fragrances I’ve smelled. For a fragrance that has Sandalwood in it, a note I’m not fond of usually, this is delicious to smell. Wearing this puts me in the mood of going to a bakery to eat a cinnamon roll with a pumpkin spice latte or caramel macchiato. The rum in this is so luscious. Very classy scent.

You can think of it as a cherry woody. A more refined and sophisticated version of the Bentley Intense with a cherry combination. It's simpler and a little less smoky. They are still not in the same class. and while bentley intense offers a slightly more bitter aroma, the side effect is a bit more on the sweet and wearable side. silage is a little low. A nice patchouli-oud scent. But I don't know if it's worth the money, 8,5/10

Fall winter unisex male leaning tobacco. Super sexy black dress late-night-trouble-making vibes from a lady perspective. Maybe it's the sweet cinnamon booze that reminds me of nights out. Recommend a skin test so you can make sure you like the hours long wear. I can see the reviews the reviews being unfavorable as we approach warm weather but keep this on your radar for cold weather. It's going to seem cloying in any warmth

Has some cherry smell, I don't know where that comes from. However, this is a very boozy, sweet, sexy fragrance. It is watered down, yes. But my bottle (2023 batch) is not that bad. It performs very good in terms of longevity, but it doesn't project like the older batches. If you love rum and tobacco, you should at least try this. Also, cinnamon and rum give than spicy kick for drenched in booze fragrance lovers.

Side Effect is an invitation to a luxurious, warm night. This is the scent of self-assurance and erotic tension you feel sitting in a leather armchair in a dim, velvety room, a glass of aged rum in your hand. The sweetness of the cinnamon and vanilla, combined with the smoky shadow of tobacco, instantly makes the wearer feel mysterious and unattainable. It’s not just a perfume; it’s a magnetic aura you exude.

boozy rum, decadent, sweet and freshly-cut-woodsy. extremely rum forward off the top giving it that slight medicinal accord people mention, if you know what it comes from you can appreciate it some more not very tobacco-y, not ashy or smoky like at all, just extremely boozy and sweet — this is what I expected maison margiela jazz club to smell like. unisex bang in the middle and a strong projector 9/10

Performance issues? Maybe folks are buying $60 fakes off Ebay. This is relentless beast mode that last forever and then some. It's warm and cozy but also has a wild side. Extremely boozy with a woody element and a compliment magnet. Living in the midwest this can be worn 10 months of the year besides July and August which would make this suffocating in the heat. Other than that 100% MASTERPIECE...

I actually get a bright, candied fruit impression from the opening, which really lifts the complicated rum and tobacco character. I also believe this is much more versatile than others seem to think; you just have to manage the number of sprays in hotter environments. This is currently my #1 go-to fragrance for the majority of my needs. Even my friends who don't like fragrances like this!

I find this scent to be most suited for winter/fall or colder days. It's definitely more masculine leaning, as I can't imagine this sort of scent profile on a lady. Strong rum, cinnamon and tobacco notes make it highly intoxicating. Definitely a DNA that receives a lot of compliments. Would highly recommend. Not a blind buy however. Might be headache inducing for some. 8.5/10

Out of the whole line I liked this one the most. It was hit or miss with compliments. Some people said they loved it and some say its just okay. To me the scent can get boring or nauseating. It can smell synthetic after wearing it so much. I ended up buying Pasticcio by sospiro which I felt has more depth than this but with some similarities with the scent.

Omg. I haven’t fully tested this out yet. But I loved it instantly. I love when a perfume works like a drug and has that effect of catching your attention and even positively shifting your mood. 2nd day wearing it: the smell lingers and projects around me. Reminds me of that sweet smelling pink bubble gum from childhood. I like that.

once again; decadent, syrupy, boozy, intense. perfect definition of a special occasion fragrance intoxicating potent rum, smooth sandalwood sweetness & finely blended tobacco only discoverable in the very base to further crown this as an ultimate date-night-type fragrance selection. 11 hours longevity, soft-medium projection. 9/10

So well blended I cannot tell apart notes, yet it gives a VERY boozy vibe with some strong characters. It's a 10/10 in my opinion. But I agree it's not a safe blind buy. This is one of the times that batches really matter.. Anything above 2023 is kinda.. extremely diluted. They massacred the nuclear performance it once had.

It's sexy, warm, wamspicy, sweet-tobacco. I really liked the smell and saffron is amazing but that was a disappointing and it’s cuz of expectations.. not that sexy not that charming with expensive price. To me a bit simple than I tought. I tested recent batches and performance is getting closer to be mid by time.

This one run it's course the hype is gone , the Clone is a better option ( After Effect ) and IL Padrino is way better than this , Not a Blind buy safe , most definitely not a panty dropper if y'all still curious go get the smallest sample or go to Neiman Marcus or any of the high end stores to try ...

i really love this but for some reason it kinda reminds me of sweaty deodorant armpits (i have never smelled this on another person but sometimes whenever i spray it on my hand thats my initial reaction) still one of my favorite "going out" scents and probably my most complimentet fragrance

Finally I managed to try this on my skin and I absolutely love this. Boozy, warm, sweet, seductive, and comforting. Boozy sandalwood is exactly the kind of smell I love. All these spices and complexities make this perfect. It lasted longer than 6h on my skin. Top of my wish list!!!

Smoky sexy goodness. It makes me feel like the sexiest woman in a dark sensual jazz club. Definitely a winter night scent. For me it’s long lasting and projects nicely, but not beast mode fragrance. 3 sprays is the perfect amount for me without choking anyone.

keşke şu parfümü sıkabilcek kadar özgüvenli ve dışa dönük olabilseydim. sessiz mülayim adama gitmiyor maalesef... i wish i could be confident and extrovert enough to wear that perfume. unfortunately it doesnt suit a quiet man...

If you're into boozy, middle eastern scents this stuff is insane. Loud scent, more of a partying type scent to me but very seductive, this is very intoxicating, i don't think this is overhyped at all it deserves all the glaze

Tam bir sex canavarı karşı cinsin direkt dikkatini çekiyor kokusu direkt tarif etmek gerekirse vozol cherry cola gibi tabi ki onun kaliteli bir hali gibi ayrıca inanılmaz güçlü bir parfüm Kalıcılık 10/7 Yayılım 10/8 ;10/9

Mükemmel, erkeksi, ve karizmatik bir koku. Tam bi gece kokusu ama gün içinde kullanmaya da uygun. Tarçın kokusu ön planda ama içindeki diğer notalarla da etkileyici bi karışıma dönüşüyor. Kesinlikle öneririm.

Beautiful, boozy, sexy. Projects and lasts. I don’t wear this super often, as I notice that I have to be in a particular mood for it. But it’s one of my all time favourites for sure. 10/10

I smelled it first today at a retailer. This has to be the best scent I have ever smelled. I went online and ordered it straight away. A little overpriced. 230€

I think that its the best niche fragrance and the smell is just perfect for the winter and date nights and the longevity is just perfect i totally recommend it.

smells great. mix of Herod and Naxos. not worth more than like $50 though given all the clones and cheapies. Herod and Naxos are both worth their prices tho.

Amazing fragrance, it develops really well despite a sharp saffron opening. Undeserved hate. Only because it's popular on tiktok doesn't mean it's bad.