Cleopatra vs Forbidden 2
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
43%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
No clear winner: the 4 categories split 1–1.
CleopatraChoose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Forbidden 2Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Cleopatra1/4
Forbidden 21/4
- Ratings & consensus
- Not scored
- Community sentiment
- Not scored
- Longevity
- Tie
- Sillage & projection
- Tie
- Value for money
- Forbidden 2
- Versatility
- Not scored
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Cleopatra
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
CleopatraKesmaForbidden 2The Dua BrandWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.50/ 5 · 2 votes
Have 36%Had 9%Want 55%
4.00/ 5 · 1 votes
Have 100%Had 0%Want 0%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate50%Love
50%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
2 votes · too few to score
0%Love
100%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate
1 vote · too few to score
Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityTie
SillageTie
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerForbidden 2Best value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothwoody100%
amber92%
warm spicy84%
green77%
white floral69%
powdery61%
woody100%
warm spicy92%
fresh spicy84%
earthy77%
citrus69%
powdery61%
Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy and powdery
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
BergamotCinnamonGalbanumPepperCloves
Heart
Orange BlossomYlang-YlangHeliotropeNarcissusTuberoseJasmineHoneyClove
Base
SandalwoodPatchouliLabdanumWormwoodOakmossLeatherVetiverIncense
Notes
May RoseOakmossBlack CurrantYlang-YlangImmortellePatchouliBergamotLabdanumJasmineLeatherCoconutViolet
No top / heart / base split published
InformationalShared notesBergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Forbidden 2, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring0
Summer0
Fall50
Winter100
Day–
Night100
Spring100
Summer0
Fall100
Winter100
Day–
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#54,368
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Overall rank#61,421
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews0
Category winnerCleopatraHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCleopatra by Kesma is a dense, unapologetic oriental floral from 1983. It opens with a punch of cloves and cinnamon before settling into a rich, resinous heart of tuberose, ylang-ylang, and honey. This is a cold-weather classic that leans heavily on its base of incense, leather, and oakmoss for a deep, vintage footpri…
Reviews →Forbidden 2 by The Dua Brand is an oriental floral extrait de parfum built around a rich structure of woods, spices, and florals. The scent begins with a bright splash of lemon and bergamot before moving into an opulent floral heart. Here, powdery iris, May rose, ylang-ylang, and violet blend with pungent accents of c…
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.
Guided comparison
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Cleopatra or Forbidden 2?
No clear winner: the 4 categories split 1–1. Cleopatra is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes; Forbidden 2 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Cleopatra for a woody and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Forbidden 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Which lasts longer, Cleopatra or Forbidden 2?
They last about the same: Cleopatra 60/100, Forbidden 2 60/100 for longevity in community votes.
Which projects more, Cleopatra or Forbidden 2?
Projection is very close: Cleopatra 50/100, Forbidden 2 50/100 for sillage.
Do Cleopatra and Forbidden 2 smell similar?
Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and powdery accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Patchouli.
Is Cleopatra or Forbidden 2 better for summer or winter?
Cleopatra suits evening wear; Forbidden 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Cleopatra and Forbidden 2?
Cleopatra has top notes of Bergamot, Cinnamon, Galbanum and Pepper, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Ylang-Ylang, Heliotrope and Narcissus, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Labdanum and Wormwood. Forbidden 2 features May Rose, Oakmoss, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang and Immortelle.
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