Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 5 vs Retrospection

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 34 ratings analysed

Forbidden 5

The Dua Brand

—0 votes

Rank #70,720 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

47%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Retrospection

JMP Artisan Perfumes

3.5934 votes

Rank #18,701 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Retrospection takes 4 of 5 categories.

Forbidden 5
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money.
Retrospection
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden 51/5

Retrospection4/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Retrospection
Sillage & projection: Retrospection
Value for money: Forbidden 5
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Retrospection
Fragranxe ranking: Retrospection

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 5The Dua Brand

RetrospectionJMP Artisan Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

3.59/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 30%Had 12%Want 57%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

24%Love

35%Like

24%Ok

12%Dislike

6%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityRetrospection

SillageRetrospection

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value61

Category winnerForbidden 5Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

aromatic100%

woody92%

animalic84%

fresh spicy77%

white floral69%

green61%

Scent match47%Some overlap · both woody, fresh spicy and aromatic

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

Top15-30 mins

GalbanumAldehydesBergamotWormwoodLavenderRosemaryPetitgrain

Heart2-4 hrs

Orange BlossomLily-of-the-ValleyJasmineGeraniumCorianderRoseClary SageCloves

Base8-10+ hrs

OakmossCivetLeatherBeeswaxMuskOrris RootVetiverSandalwood

Category winnerRetrospectionLongest dry-down: 8-10+ hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

No season votes yet

Spring86

Summer21

Fall100

Winter71

Day83

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men65

Unisex23

Women12

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#70,720

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#18,701

PerfumerJakub Pietrynka

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerRetrospectionHigher 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 →

Retrospection by JMP Artisan Perfumes resurrects the bold, unapologetic swagger of traditional masculine perfumery from the late twentieth century. Created by Polish independent perfumer Jakub Pietrynka, this composition opens with a sharp burst of bitter galbanum, soapy aldehydes, and zesty bergamot. Within minutes, …

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 Retrospection?

Retrospection lasts longest (Retrospection 80/100, Forbidden 5 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 5 or Retrospection?

Retrospection projects furthest (Retrospection 71/100, Forbidden 5 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 5 and Retrospection smell similar?

Some overlap: a 47% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, fresh spicy and aromatic accords. Common notes include Aldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom and Petitgrain.

Is Forbidden 5 or Retrospection better for summer or winter?

Retrospection suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 5 and Retrospection?

Forbidden 5 features Aldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Black Currant and Guaiac Wood. Retrospection has top notes of Galbanum, Aldehydes, Bergamot and Wormwood, heart notes of Orange Blossom, Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine and Geranium, a base of Oakmoss, Civet, Leather and Beeswax.