Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Moonlight Cherry

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 568 ratings analysed

7 wins

Forbidden

Aaron Terence Hughes

4.29310 votes

Rank #495 SweetVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

35%scent match

Some overlap

Moonlight Cherry

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.17258 votes

Rank #6,139 CherrySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Forbidden takes 7 of 7 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.
Moonlight Cherry
Choose it for a cherry and sweet character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Forbidden7/7

Moonlight Cherry0/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenAaron Terence Hughes

Moonlight CherryVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.29/ 5 · 310 votes

Have 45%Had 9%Want 47%

4.17/ 5 · 258 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerForbiddenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

67%Love

18%Like

8%Ok

2%Dislike

6%Hate

120 votes

45%Love

38%Like

10%Ok

4%Dislike

3%Hate

258 votes

Category winnerForbiddenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity89

〰 Sillage80

♥ Love / hate85

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityForbidden

SillageForbidden

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value42

Category winnerForbiddenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

sweet100%

vanilla92%

citrus84%

warm spicy77%

cherry69%

chocolate61%

cherry100%

sweet92%

almond84%

nutty77%

rum69%

fruity61%

Scent match35%Some overlap · both sweet and cherry

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

ChocolateOrangeBergamot

Heart

VanillaCherryTonka Bean

Base

RumRoseOudPatchouliSandalwoodWhite MuskAmbergris

Top20-30 mins

RumBitter Almond

Heart3-5 hrs

CherryCoffee

Base8-10 hrs

VanillaWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesVanilla, Cherry, Rum and White Musk. Durations are only published for Moonlight Cherry, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring56

Summer17

Fall93

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring40

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day60

Night100

Category winnerForbiddenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men28

Unisex65

Women8

Men6

Unisex35

Women59

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#495

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews84

Overall rank#6,139

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews26

Category winnerForbiddenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden is a rich cherry gourmand with a proper chocolate-orange opening, then a bakewell-style cherry and vanilla centre that reads like warm pastry on skin. As it dries down, rum, woods, musky ambergris and a smooth, low-funk oud give it a darker, more grown-up finish. It wears bold and dessert-like, but many peo…

Reviews →

Moonlight Cherry by Van Cleef & Arpels delivers a warm, boozy twist on sweet fruit. It opens with a splash of dark rum and bitter almond, giving you the immediate sensation of biting into an upscale cherry liqueur chocolate. As the opening settles, a rich, ripe cherry heart steps forward, balanced by dark roasted coff…

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 or Moonlight Cherry?

Forbidden takes 7 of 7 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.29/5 from 310 votes; Moonlight Cherry is rated 4.17/5 from 258 votes. Choose Forbidden for a sweet and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter. Choose Moonlight Cherry for a cherry and sweet character. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Moonlight Cherry?

Forbidden lasts longest (Forbidden 89/100, Moonlight Cherry 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or Moonlight Cherry?

Forbidden projects furthest (Forbidden 80/100, Moonlight Cherry 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and Moonlight Cherry smell similar?

Some overlap: a 35% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and cherry accords. Common notes include Vanilla, Cherry, Rum and White Musk.

Is Forbidden or Moonlight Cherry better for summer or winter?

For summer, Forbidden is the stronger pick. For winter, Forbidden is the stronger pick. Moonlight Cherry suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden and Moonlight Cherry?

Forbidden has top notes of Chocolate, Orange and Bergamot, heart notes of Vanilla, Cherry and Tonka Bean, a base of Rum, Rose, Oud and Patchouli. Moonlight Cherry has top notes of Rum and Bitter Almond, heart notes of Cherry and Coffee, a base of Vanilla and White Musk.