Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 5 vs Pierre de Velay No. 23

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 38 ratings analysed

Forbidden 5

The Dua Brand

—0 votes

Rank #70,720 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Pierre de Velay No. 23

Roja Dove

4.1138 votes

Rank #15,725 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

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

Forbidden 5
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money.
Pierre de Velay No. 23
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.

Forbidden 52/4

Pierre de Velay No. 232/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Pierre de Velay No. 23
Sillage & projection: Forbidden 5
Value for money: Forbidden 5
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Pierre de Velay No. 23

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 5The Dua Brand

Pierre de Velay No. 23Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

4.11/ 5 · 38 votes

Have 35%Had 11%Want 54%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

53%Love

24%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

38 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity75

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityPierre de Velay No. 23

SillageForbidden 5

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value38

Category winnerForbidden 5Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

amber100%

woody92%

animalic84%

musky77%

powdery69%

white floral61%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both woody, amber and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AldehydesOakmossOrange BlossomBlack CurrantGuaiac WoodTonka BeanHeliotropeGrapefruitPetitgrainPatchouliBergamotTuberose

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesBergamotMandarin Orange

Heart

Ylang-YlangJasmineVioletRose de MaiOrange Blossom

Base

AmbergrisCivetLabdanumLeatherMuskCedarOakmossTobacco

InformationalShared notesAldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Forbidden 5, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring100

Summer31

Fall100

Winter77

Day83

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men11

Unisex68

Women21

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#70,720

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#15,725

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerPierre de Velay No. 23Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden 5 by The Dua Brand is a dense leather and oriental woody fragrance designed for men and women. The opening delivers a crisp flash of aldehydes, bright bergamot, grapefruit, and sweet orange, quickly shadowed by green galbanum and petitgrain. As the bright citrus elements settle, a lavish floral bouquet of Ma…

Reviews →

Pierre de Velay No. 23 opens with bright aldehydes and soft citrus, then quickly settles into a powdery floral heart of ylang-ylang, jasmine, violet, rose and orange blossom. The real twist is underneath, where amber, leather, tobacco and animalic notes give it a darker, more intimate edge. It suits someone who enjoys…

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.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden 5 or Pierre de Velay No. 23?

Pierre de Velay No. 23 lasts longest (Pierre de Velay No. 23 75/100, Forbidden 5 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 5 or Pierre de Velay No. 23?

Projection is very close: Forbidden 5 63/100, Pierre de Velay No. 23 61/100 for sillage.

Do Forbidden 5 and Pierre de Velay No. 23 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and white floral accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom and Bergamot.

Is Forbidden 5 or Pierre de Velay No. 23 better for summer or winter?

Pierre de Velay No. 23 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 5 and Pierre de Velay No. 23?

Forbidden 5 features Aldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Black Currant and Guaiac Wood. Pierre de Velay No. 23 has top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine, Violet and Rose de Mai, a base of Ambergris, Civet, Labdanum and Leather.