Fragrance comparison

Ardent vs Forbidden

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 25 ratings analysed

Ardent

Parfums de la Bastide

4.0715 votes

Rank #37,301 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Forbidden

Anna Zworykina Perfumes

4.4010 votes

Rank #41,918 Warm SpicyFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Ardent
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Forbidden
Choose it for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Ardent2/4

Forbidden2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ArdentParfums de la Bastide

ForbiddenAnna Zworykina Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.07/ 5 · 15 votes

Have 43%Had 20%Want 36%

4.40/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 13%Had 2%Want 85%

Category winnerForbiddenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

53%Like

0%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

15 votes · too few to score

70%Love

10%Like

10%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity83

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity50

〰 Sillage60

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityArdent

SillageForbidden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value56

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

warm spicy48%

powdery30%

warm spicy100%

fresh spicy92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

musky69%

oud61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

CypressCardamomCuminCedarSandalwoodCashmere WoodNutmeg

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

Agarwood (Oud)ArtemisiaCinnamonNutmegBay LeafClovesGingerCardamomVetiverAmbrette (Musk Mallow)LabdanumPink Pepper

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesCardamom and Nutmeg. Durations are only published for Ardent, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring40

Summer0

Fall100

Winter60

Day100

Night41

Spring0

Summer86

Fall100

Winter57

Day43

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men33

Unisex67

Women0

Work 38%Casual 34%Date 20%Party 9%

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#37,301

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#41,918

PerfumerAnna Zworykina

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerArdentHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ardent opens with dry pine needles, bitter green cypress, and a burst of pungent culinary cumin that demands immediate attention. Skin chemistry matters here. The cardamom hits immediately, cutting right through that initial vegetal blast before grounding itself into aromatic cedar branches and warm ground nutmeg. Thr…

Reviews →

Forbidden by Anna Zworykina opens with a sharp, medicinal blast of artemisia and bitter cardamom. As the liquid warms on skin, the herbal sting recedes into a dense cloud of cloves, cumin, and dark coffee. This is a purely natural construction, which means it smells thicker and less polished than mainstream synthetic …

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, Ardent or Forbidden?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Ardent is rated 4.07/5 from 15 votes; Forbidden is rated 4.40/5 from 10 votes. Choose Ardent for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Forbidden for a warm spicy and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.