Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 1 vs Semi-Bespoke No. 25

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 27 ratings analysed

Forbidden 1

The Dua Brand

4.836 votes

Rank #31,982 Warm SpicyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

Semi-Bespoke No. 25

Roja Dove

3.9521 votes

Rank #36,253 White FloralWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Forbidden 1
Choose it for a warm spicy and powdery character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Semi-Bespoke No. 25
Choose it for a white floral and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Forbidden 12/4

Semi-Bespoke No. 252/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Semi-Bespoke No. 25
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 25
Value for money: Forbidden 1
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Forbidden 1

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 1The Dua Brand

Semi-Bespoke No. 25Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.83/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 58%Had 0%Want 42%

3.95/ 5 · 21 votes

Have 47%Had 6%Want 48%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

83%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

48%Love

24%Like

10%Ok

14%Dislike

5%Hate

21 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity73

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate96

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevitySemi-Bespoke No. 25

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 25

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value34

Category winnerForbidden 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

powdery92%

amber84%

sweet77%

vanilla69%

yellow floral61%

white floral100%

warm spicy92%

leather84%

fresh77%

tuberose69%

woody61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Ylang-YlangSaffronJasmineSuedeTolu BalsamTonka BeanOrris RootClovesOudSandalwoodCivetCopaiba balm

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesMandarin Orange

Heart

TuberoseJasmineJasmine SambacOrange BlossomRose de MaiAppleYlang-YlangHeliotrope

Base

SaffronAgarwood (Oud)Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaCashmere WoodSuedeLabdanumGrassBirch Tar

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Saffron, Jasmine and Suede. Durations are only published for Forbidden 1, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring100

Summer14

Fall86

Winter71

Day57

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men80

Unisex20

Women0

Men8

Unisex62

Women31

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#31,982

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#36,253

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerForbidden 1Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden 1 by The Dua Brand is an oriental woody extrait de parfum built around warm spices, resins, and florals. It opens with an immediate contrast between bright lemon and bergamot and a dense base of saffron, cloves, and cinnamon. As the initial citrus settles, a rich floral heart of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and pow…

Reviews →

Semi-Bespoke No. 25 opens with a sparkling mandarin and aldehydic lift, then quickly turns into a rich jasmine and orange blossom floral wrapped in suede, saffron, and soft oud. It feels ornate, smooth, and a little demanding, with strong projection and a dressier, cooler-weather character that usually suits confident…

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, Forbidden 1 or Semi-Bespoke No. 25?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Forbidden 1 is rated 4.83/5 from 6 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 25 is rated 3.95/5 from 21 votes. Choose Forbidden 1 for a warm spicy and powdery character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 25 for a white floral and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 1 or Semi-Bespoke No. 25?

Semi-Bespoke No. 25 lasts longest (Semi-Bespoke No. 25 78/100, Forbidden 1 73/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 1 or Semi-Bespoke No. 25?

Semi-Bespoke No. 25 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 25 82/100, Forbidden 1 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 1 and Semi-Bespoke No. 25 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Saffron, Jasmine and Suede.

Is Forbidden 1 or Semi-Bespoke No. 25 better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 1 suits evening wear; Semi-Bespoke No. 25 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 1 and Semi-Bespoke No. 25?

Forbidden 1 features Ylang-Ylang, Saffron, Jasmine, Suede and Tolu Balsam. Semi-Bespoke No. 25 has top notes of Aldehydes and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Tuberose, Jasmine, Jasmine Sambac and Orange Blossom, a base of Saffron, Agarwood (Oud), Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Cashmere Wood.