Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 2 vs Ivoire de Balmain

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

Updated 1 Nov 2026 1,108 ratings analysed

Forbidden 2

The Dua Brand

4.001 votes

Rank #61,421 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

30%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Ivoire de Balmain

Pierre Balmain

4.131,107 votes

Rank #25,107 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 4 categories.

Forbidden 2
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Ivoire de Balmain
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Forbidden 21/4

Ivoire de Balmain3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Ivoire de Balmain
Sillage & projection: Ivoire de Balmain
Value for money: Forbidden 2
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Ivoire de Balmain

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 2The Dua Brand

Ivoire de BalmainPierre Balmain

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 100%Had 0%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 1,107 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

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

42%Love

43%Like

2%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

1,107 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage64

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityIvoire de Balmain

SillageIvoire de Balmain

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value50

Category winnerForbidden 2Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

herbal84%

woody77%

floral69%

green61%

Scent match30%Clearly different · both woody and fresh spicy

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

AldehydesChamomileGalbanumMarigoldAsafoetidaArtemisiaBergamotLemon

Heart

Orris RootNarcissusCarnationNutmegTurkish RosePepperYlang-YlangIris

Base

OakmossVetiverSandalwoodIncensePatchouliLabdanumMuskTonka Bean

InformationalShared notesOakmoss, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli and Bergamot. 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

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter68

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men3

Unisex37

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,421

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#25,107

PerfumerFrancis Camail, Michel Hy

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerIvoire de BalmainHigher 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 →

Ivoire de Balmain stands as a definitive green chypre. It opens with a sharp, herbal punch of galbanum and marigold before settling into a sophisticated, mossy floral core. This is a scent for those who appreciate traditional, crisp structure. It feels most at home during cool spring mornings, providing an immediate s…

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 Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain takes 3 of 4 categories. Forbidden 2 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Ivoire de Balmain is rated 4.13/5 from 1,107 votes. Choose Forbidden 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Ivoire de Balmain for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 2 or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain lasts longest (Ivoire de Balmain 71/100, Forbidden 2 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 2 or Ivoire de Balmain?

Ivoire de Balmain projects furthest (Ivoire de Balmain 64/100, Forbidden 2 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 2 and Ivoire de Balmain smell similar?

Clearly different: a 30% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli and Bergamot.

Is Forbidden 2 or Ivoire de Balmain better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 2 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 2 and Ivoire de Balmain?

Forbidden 2 features May Rose, Oakmoss, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang and Immortelle. Ivoire de Balmain has top notes of Aldehydes, Chamomile, Galbanum and Marigold, heart notes of Orris Root, Narcissus, Carnation and Nutmeg, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Sandalwood and Incense.