Fragrance comparison

Ambre Rubis vs Forbidden

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 9 Oct 2026 633 ratings analysed

Ambre Rubis

Houbigant

4.32323 votes

Rank #23,114 SweetCherry

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Forbidden

Aaron Terence Hughes

4.29310 votes

Rank #476 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Forbidden takes 6 of 7 categories.

Ambre Rubis
Choose it for a sweet and cherry character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter, evening wear.
Forbidden
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Ambre Rubis1/7

Forbidden6/7

Ratings & consensus: Ambre Rubis
Community sentiment: Forbidden
Longevity: Forbidden
Sillage & projection: Forbidden
Value for money: Forbidden
Versatility: Forbidden
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Forbidden

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Ambre RubisHoubigant

ForbiddenAaron Terence Hughes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.32/ 5 · 323 votes

Have 82%Had 18%Want 0%

4.29/ 5 · 310 votes

Have 45%Had 9%Want 47%

Category winnerAmbre RubisRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

26%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

323 votes

67%Love

18%Like

8%Ok

2%Dislike

6%Hate

120 votes

Category winnerForbiddenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityForbidden

SillageForbidden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value64

Category winnerForbiddenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

cherry92%

fruity84%

woody77%

amber69%

rum61%

sweet100%

vanilla92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

cherry69%

chocolate61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both sweet and cherry

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

Red BerriesIncensePink PepperOrange

Heart3-4 hrs

CherryRumJasmine

Base8-10+ hrs

AmbergrisWoody NotesCedarFir Resin

Top

ChocolateOrangeBergamot

Heart

VanillaCherryTonka Bean

Base

RumRoseOudPatchouliSandalwoodWhite MuskAmbergris

InformationalShared notesOrange, Cherry, Rum and Ambergris. Durations are only published for Ambre Rubis, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring62

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day37

Night100

Spring56

Summer17

Fall93

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerForbiddenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men10

Unisex57

Women33

Date 43%Party 29%Casual 15%Work 13%

Men28

Unisex65

Women8

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#23,114

PerfumerAntoine Lie, Luca Maffei

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#476

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews84

Category winnerForbiddenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ambre Rubis opens with a tart flash of red berries and orange zest, cut immediately by dry incense smoke. Give it three minutes. The sharp alcohol burn clears quickly to reveal a dark, boozy heart of macerated cherry and dark rum. It is sweet without turning into sticky cough syrup. A gentle touch of white jasmine sof…

Reviews →

Forbidden is a rich cherry gourmand with a proper chocolate-orange opening, then a bakewell-style cherry and vanilla centre that reads like warm pastry on skin. As it dries down, rum, woods, musky ambergris and a smooth, low-funk oud give it a darker, more grown-up finish. It wears bold and dessert-like, but many peo…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Ambre Rubis or Forbidden?

Forbidden takes 6 of 7 categories. Ambre Rubis is rated 4.32/5 from 323 votes; Forbidden is rated 4.29/5 from 310 votes. Choose Ambre Rubis for a sweet and cherry character. Wins on ratings & consensus. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Forbidden for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on community sentiment, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Ambre Rubis or Forbidden?

Forbidden lasts longest (Forbidden 89/100, Ambre Rubis 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ambre Rubis or Forbidden?

Forbidden projects furthest (Forbidden 80/100, Ambre Rubis 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ambre Rubis and Forbidden smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and cherry accords. Common notes include Orange, Cherry, Rum and Ambergris.

Is Ambre Rubis or Forbidden better for summer or winter?

For summer, Ambre Rubis is the stronger pick. For winter, Ambre Rubis is the stronger pick. Ambre Rubis suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ambre Rubis and Forbidden?

Ambre Rubis has top notes of Red Berries, Incense, Pink Pepper and Orange, heart notes of Cherry, Rum and Jasmine, a base of Ambergris, Woody Notes, Cedar and Fir Resin. Forbidden has top notes of Chocolate, Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Vanilla, Cherry and Tonka Bean, a base of Rum, Rose, Oud and Patchouli.