Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 4 vs Semi-Bespoke No. 5

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

Updated 31 Oct 2026 21 ratings analysed

Forbidden 4

The Dua Brand

5.004 votes

Rank #38,860 White FloralWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

29%scent match

Clearly different

Semi-Bespoke No. 5

Roja Dove

4.5317 votes

Rank #28,988 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Forbidden 4
Choose it for a white floral and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.
Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Forbidden 42/4

Semi-Bespoke No. 52/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Forbidden 4
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 5
Value for money: Forbidden 4
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 4The Dua Brand

Semi-Bespoke No. 5Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 56%Had 6%Want 38%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · 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

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityForbidden 4

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 5

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value25

Category winnerForbidden 4Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

warm spicy90%

amber80%

tuberose70%

vanilla60%

oud50%

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

balsamic77%

powdery69%

earthy61%

Scent match29%Clearly different · both warm spicy and amber

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

JasmineTuberoseAgarwoodBenzoinVanillaResinSandalwoodSaffronCloveCashmere WoodCinnamonHeliotrope

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BergamotPeach

Heart

Orange BlossomJasmineVioletYlang-YlangRoseHeliotrope

Base

AmbergrisVetiverPeru BalsamCedarLeatherGingerPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesJasmine, Benzoin and Heliotrope. Durations are only published for Forbidden 4, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

Men67

Unisex0

Women33

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#38,860

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 4 by The Dua Brand is an opulent unisex floral fragrance built around a lush bouquet and a dark, resinous foundation. The scent opens with a burst of mandarin orange, fresh grass, and creamy white floral tones led by tuberose, jasmine, and ylang-ylang. Soon, warm spices like cinnamon and clove introduce a ri…

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 4 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Forbidden 4 is rated 5.00/5 from 4 votes; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 is rated 4.53/5 from 17 votes. Choose Forbidden 4 for a white floral and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Semi-Bespoke No. 5 for a woody and amber character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 4 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Forbidden 4 lasts longest (Forbidden 4 85/100, Semi-Bespoke No. 5 78/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 4 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Semi-Bespoke No. 5 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 5 80/100, Forbidden 4 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 4 and Semi-Bespoke No. 5 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 29% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and amber accords. Common notes include Jasmine, Benzoin and Heliotrope.

Is Forbidden 4 or Semi-Bespoke No. 5 better for summer or winter?

Forbidden 4 suits day or night wear; Semi-Bespoke No. 5 suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 4 and Semi-Bespoke No. 5?

Forbidden 4 features Jasmine, Tuberose, Agarwood, Benzoin and Vanilla. 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.