Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 2 vs Semi-Bespoke No. 5

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

Updated 1 Nov 2026 18 ratings analysed

Forbidden 2

The Dua Brand

4.001 votes

Rank #61,421 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Roja Dove

4.5317 votes

Rank #28,988 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 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.
Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Forbidden 21/4

Semi-Bespoke No. 53/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Value for money: Forbidden 2
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 2The Dua Brand

Semi-Bespoke No. 5Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 100%Had 0%Want 0%

4.53/ 5 · 17 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 65%

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

82%Love

6%Like

0%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

17 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevitySemi-Bespoke No. 5

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 5

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value25

Category winnerForbidden 2Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

warm spicy92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

citrus69%

powdery61%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, warm spicy 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

Top

BergamotPeach

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineVioletYlang-YlangRoseHeliotrope

Base

AmbergrisVetiverPeru BalsamCedarLeatherGingerPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Patchouli, Bergamot and Jasmine. 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

Summer100

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Men67

Unisex0

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#61,421

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#28,988

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerSemi-Bespoke No. 5Higher 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 →

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 reads as a rich, polished chypre with a soft peach and bergamot lift, a floral heart, and a deep woody amber base. On skin, it usually turns warmer, spicier, and more balsamic as the moss, resins, leather, and powdery facets settle in. It suits wearers who enjoy classical structure with real weight …

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 Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 takes 3 of 4 categories. Forbidden 2 is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 is rated 4.53/5 from 17 votes. Choose Forbidden 2 for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 5 for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 2 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 lasts longest (Semi-Bespoke No. 5 78/100, Forbidden 2 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 2 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 5 80/100, Forbidden 2 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 2 and Semi-Bespoke No. 5 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, warm spicy and earthy accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Patchouli, Bergamot and Jasmine.

Is Forbidden 2 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5 better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 2 suits evening wear; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 2 and Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Forbidden 2 features May Rose, Oakmoss, Black Currant, Ylang-Ylang and Immortelle. Semi-Bespoke No. 5 has top notes of Bergamot and Peach, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Jasmine, Violet and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Ambergris, Vetiver, Peru Balsam and Cedar.