Fragrance comparison

FORBIDDEN vs Fugue

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 5 ratings analysed

3 wins

FORBIDDEN

ARO-FAC Aroma Factory

5.001 votes

Rank #41,203 SmokyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

Fugue

Ikiryō

4.754 votes

Rank #52,785 AmberFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

FORBIDDEN takes 3 of 3 categories.

FORBIDDEN
Choose it for a smoky and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear.
Fugue
Choose it for a amber and fruity character. Best in fall, evening wear.

FORBIDDEN3/3

Fugue0/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FORBIDDENARO-FAC Aroma Factory

FugueIkiryō

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 3%Had 2%Want 94%

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

1 vote · too few to score

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage100

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ Longevity40

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate94

Category winners

LongevityFORBIDDEN

SillageFORBIDDEN

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

leather92%

amber84%

rum77%

warm spicy69%

animalic61%

amber100%

fruity90%

woody80%

smoky70%

white floral60%

warm spicy50%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both amber, smoky and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Black PepperBergamotBay Leaf

Heart

RumClary SageAfrican GeraniumWoody NotesCinnamon

Base

LeatherIncensePatchouliBenzoinCedar

Notes

IncenseBlack CurrantHoneysuckleBenzoinIso E SuperWoody NotesSugarPineappleRumCastoreum

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesRum, Woody Notes, Incense and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Fugue, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Not enough votes yet

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#41,203

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#52,785

PerfumerVincent of Dreamhouse

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFORBIDDENHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

FORBIDDEN opens with a sharp peppery citrus lift, then turns warmer and darker as rum, sage and cinnamon move in. On skin, it reads smoky, leathery and resinous, with a rich base that can feel dense and long-wearing. This suits shoppers who enjoy bold woody spicy scents with an ambered, slightly boozy core. If you pre…

Reviews →

Fugue by Ikiryō is an unconventional fragrance that joins sticky dark fruits with resinous smoke. The profile pairs ripe black currant and sweet pineapple with a heavy pour of dark rum right at the start. As it settles, warm incense and balsamic benzoin take over the center, shaded by soft honeysuckle and sweet crysta…

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 Fugue?

FORBIDDEN takes 3 of 3 categories. FORBIDDEN is rated 5.00/5 from 1 votes; Fugue is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes. Choose FORBIDDEN for a smoky and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, day or night wear. Choose Fugue for a amber and fruity character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, FORBIDDEN or Fugue?

FORBIDDEN lasts longest (FORBIDDEN 100/100, Fugue 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, FORBIDDEN or Fugue?

FORBIDDEN projects furthest (FORBIDDEN 100/100, Fugue 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do FORBIDDEN and Fugue smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, smoky and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Rum, Woody Notes, Incense and Benzoin.

Is FORBIDDEN or Fugue better for summer or winter?

FORBIDDEN suits day or night wear; Fugue suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in FORBIDDEN and Fugue?

FORBIDDEN has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot and Bay Leaf, heart notes of Rum, Clary Sage, African Geranium and Woody Notes, a base of Leather, Incense, Patchouli and Benzoin. Fugue features Incense, Black Currant, Honeysuckle, Benzoin and Iso E Super.