Fragrance comparison

Forbidden 5 vs Semi-Bespoke No. 21

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

40%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Semi-Bespoke No. 21

Roja Dove

4.2934 votes

Rank #31,415 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Semi-Bespoke No. 21 takes 3 of 4 categories.

Forbidden 5
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money.
Semi-Bespoke No. 21
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden 51/4

Semi-Bespoke No. 213/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Semi-Bespoke No. 21
Sillage & projection: Semi-Bespoke No. 21
Value for money: Forbidden 5
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Semi-Bespoke No. 21

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden 5The Dua Brand

Semi-Bespoke No. 21Roja Dove

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

—/ 5 · 0 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

4.29/ 5 · 34 votes

Have 47%Had 8%Want 45%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

Not enough votes yet

62%Love

15%Like

15%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

34 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hateN/A

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate82

Category winners

LongevitySemi-Bespoke No. 21

SillageSemi-Bespoke No. 21

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value75

¤ Price value36

Category winnerForbidden 5Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

citrus92%

fresh spicy84%

amber77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

woody100%

amber92%

earthy84%

leather77%

warm spicy69%

aromatic61%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both woody, amber 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

Top

GrapefruitMandarin Orange

Heart

Rose de MaiRock roseJasmineTuberoseHeliotropeLily-of-the-Valley

Base

Cypriol Oil or NagarmothaLeatherOakmossBenzoinJuniper BerriesOlibanumClovesPatchouli

InformationalShared notesOakmoss, Heliotrope, Grapefruit and Patchouli. 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

Spring82

Summer45

Fall100

Winter36

Day56

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men47

Unisex27

Women27

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#70,720

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#31,415

PerfumerRoja Dove

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerSemi-Bespoke No. 21Higher 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 →

Semi-Bespoke No. 21 opens bright with tart grapefruit and mandarin, then quickly turns richer, moving into rose, white florals, cypriol, leather and warm spice. It wears like a polished leathery chypre with an ambery, mossy base, and it suits someone who enjoys clear structure, visible transitions and a more dressed-u…

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 Semi-Bespoke No. 21?

Semi-Bespoke No. 21 lasts longest (Semi-Bespoke No. 21 78/100, Forbidden 5 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden 5 or Semi-Bespoke No. 21?

Semi-Bespoke No. 21 projects furthest (Semi-Bespoke No. 21 66/100, Forbidden 5 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden 5 and Semi-Bespoke No. 21 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Heliotrope, Grapefruit and Patchouli.

Is Forbidden 5 or Semi-Bespoke No. 21 better for summer or winter?

Semi-Bespoke No. 21 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden 5 and Semi-Bespoke No. 21?

Forbidden 5 features Aldehydes, Oakmoss, Orange Blossom, Black Currant and Guaiac Wood. Semi-Bespoke No. 21 has top notes of Grapefruit and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Rose de Mai, Rock rose, Jasmine and Tuberose, a base of Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Leather, Oakmoss and Benzoin.