Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 3 vs Semi-Bespoke No. 23

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 38 ratings analysed

Forbidden 3

The Dua Brand

5.002 votes

Rank #43,007 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

62%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Semi-Bespoke No. 23

Roja Dove

4.3136 votes

Rank #20,844 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Semi-Bespoke No. 23 takes 3 of 4 categories.

Forbidden 3
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Semi-Bespoke No. 23
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden 31/4

Semi-Bespoke No. 233/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Semi-Bespoke No. 23
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 23
Value for money: Forbidden 3
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Semi-Bespoke No. 23

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 3The Dua Brand

Semi-Bespoke No. 23Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 60%Had 0%Want 40%

4.31/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 52%Had 6%Want 42%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

67%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

11%Dislike

3%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate83

Category winners

LongevitySemi-Bespoke No. 23

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 23

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value27

Category winnerForbidden 3Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

fresh spicy92%

woody84%

rose77%

amber69%

musky61%

woody100%

aromatic92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

warm spicy69%

balsamic61%

Scent match62%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

GeraniumLabdanumThymeSandalwoodPatchouliRaspberryBergamotMay RoseVanillaCedarMusk

No top / heart / base split published

Top

OreganoThymeBasilBergamot

Heart

Rock roseGeranium

Base

OlibanumClovesSandalwoodLabdanumVanillaCypriol Oil or NagarmothaPine TreePatchouli

InformationalShared notesGeranium, Labdanum, Thyme and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Forbidden 3, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring40

Summer7

Fall100

Winter67

Day38

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

Men78

Unisex22

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#43,007

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,844

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerSemi-Bespoke No. 23Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden 3 by The Dua Brand is an Extrait de Parfum built around a woody chypre structure with aromatic and herbal undertones. It opens with bright bergamot and dry thyme before transitioning into a floral core of may rose and geranium with a touch of tart raspberry. As it settles, earthy patchouli, dry cedar, and cr…

Reviews →

Semi-Bespoke No. 23 is a warm, resinous woody amber built around green herbs, frankincense and labdanum. It opens aromatic and earthy with oregano, thyme and basil, then settles into creamy sandalwood, soft vanilla and a dense amber base. It usually reads more masculine than fully neutral, and it suits cool weather be…

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 3 or Semi-Bespoke No. 23?

Semi-Bespoke No. 23 takes 3 of 4 categories. Forbidden 3 is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 23 is rated 4.31/5 from 36 votes. Choose Forbidden 3 for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 23 for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 3 or Semi-Bespoke No. 23?

Semi-Bespoke No. 23 lasts longest (Semi-Bespoke No. 23 82/100, Forbidden 3 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 3 or Semi-Bespoke No. 23?

Semi-Bespoke No. 23 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 23 67/100, Forbidden 3 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 3 and Semi-Bespoke No. 23 smell similar?

Closely related: a 62% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Geranium, Labdanum, Thyme and Sandalwood.

Is Forbidden 3 or Semi-Bespoke No. 23 better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 3 suits day or night wear; Semi-Bespoke No. 23 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 3 and Semi-Bespoke No. 23?

Forbidden 3 features Geranium, Labdanum, Thyme, Sandalwood and Patchouli. Semi-Bespoke No. 23 has top notes of Oregano, Thyme, Basil and Bergamot, heart notes of Rock rose and Geranium, a base of Olibanum, Cloves, Sandalwood and Labdanum.