Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 2 vs Essence Of The Opera

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

Updated 1 Nov 2026 7 ratings analysed

Forbidden 2

The Dua Brand

4.001 votes

Rank #61,421 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Essence Of The Opera

The Dua Brand

3.676 votes

Rank #49,511 IrisPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Essence Of The Opera takes 4 of 5 categories.

Forbidden 2
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear.
Essence Of The Opera
Choose it for a iris and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden 20/5

Essence Of The Opera4/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Essence Of The Opera
Sillage & projection: Essence Of The Opera
Value for money: Tie
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Essence Of The Opera
Fragranxe ranking: Essence Of The Opera

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 2The Dua Brand

Essence Of The OperaThe Dua Brand

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 100%Had 0%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 46%Had 0%Want 54%

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

50%Love

17%Like

0%Ok

17%Dislike

17%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityEssence Of The Opera

SillageEssence Of The Opera

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

iris100%

powdery90%

woody80%

violet70%

earthy60%

amber50%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both woody, powdery and earthy

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

Notes

IrisCashmere WoodHeliotropeBenzoinYlang-YlangJasmineCoffeeMossImmortellePatchouliBergamotLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerEssence Of The OperaLongest dry-down: 5 to 7 hours

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring50

Summer0

Fall100

Winter50

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men50

Unisex25

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,421

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#49,511

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Category winnerEssence Of The OperaHigher 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 →

Essence Of The Opera by The Dua Brand is a dense chypre floral extrait built around powdery iris, tart citrus, and a dark, resinous base. The opening brings an instant flash of lemon, bergamot, and aldehydes, sweetened lightly by hints of peach and black currant. Soon after, the scent thickens into an opulent bouquet …

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Jaguar EssentiallyJaguarRUNNER-UP vs

Miss WorthWorthWINNER

1 person compared this today

Aoud ExtraordinaireRoja DoveWINNER vs

Personality Black Pour HommeRasasiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Parfum de FĂT FRUMOS (Prince Charming)B.A.S.M. by Createur 5 D’EmotionsWINNER vs

Heritage ManNabeelRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Dunhill EditionAlfred DunhillRUNNER-UP vs

Boss SportHugo BossWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Forbidden 2 or Essence Of The Opera?

Essence Of The Opera takes 4 of 5 categories. Forbidden 2 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Essence Of The Opera is rated 3.67/5 from 6 votes. Choose Forbidden 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Essence Of The Opera for a iris and powdery character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 2 or Essence Of The Opera?

Essence Of The Opera lasts longest (Essence Of The Opera 67/100, Forbidden 2 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 2 or Essence Of The Opera?

Essence Of The Opera projects furthest (Essence Of The Opera 69/100, Forbidden 2 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 2 and Essence Of The Opera smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, powdery and earthy accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Immortelle, Patchouli and Bergamot.

Is Forbidden 2 or Essence Of The Opera better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 2 suits evening wear; Essence Of The Opera suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 2 and Essence Of The Opera?

Forbidden 2 features May Rose, Oakmoss, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang and Immortelle. Essence Of The Opera features Iris, Cashmere Wood, Heliotrope, Benzoin and Ylang-Ylang.