Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 2 vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 1 Nov 2026 15 ratings analysed

Forbidden 2

The Dua Brand

4.001 votes

Rank #61,421 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #48,524 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 4 of 4 categories.

Forbidden 2
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden 20/4

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute4/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Sillage & projection: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Value for money: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 2The Dua Brand

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 100%Had 0%Want 0%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

SillageAcqua di Nabeel Absolute

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both warm spicy, woody and citrus

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

May RoseOakmossBlack CurrantYlang-YlangImmortellePatchouliBergamotLabdanumJasmineLeatherCoconutViolet

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

InformationalShared notesOakmoss, Jasmine and Coconut. Durations are only published for Forbidden 2, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,421

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#48,524

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Forbidden 2 or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute takes 4 of 4 categories. Forbidden 2 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Forbidden 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 2 or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute lasts longest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100, Forbidden 2 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 2 or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute projects furthest (Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100, Forbidden 2 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 2 and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and citrus accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Jasmine and Coconut.

Is Forbidden 2 or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 2 suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 2 and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Forbidden 2 features May Rose, Oakmoss, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang and Immortelle. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.