Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Air of Style

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 200 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Air of Style

MAC

4.0587 votes

Rank #11,550 White FloralSweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Air of Style takes 4 of 7 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Air of Style
Choose it for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Forbidden2/7

Air of Style4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

Air of StyleMAC

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

4.05/ 5 · 87 votes

Have 37%Had 18%Want 44%

Category winnerForbiddenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

33%Like

4%Ok

12%Dislike

3%Hate

113 votes

37%Love

45%Like

5%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

87 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate76

Category winners

LongevityForbidden

SillageAir of Style

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value72

Category winnerAir of StyleBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

white floral100%

sweet88%

tuberose77%

woody65%

yellow floral53%

animalic42%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both white floral, woody and tuberose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top20-30 mins

WormwoodcannabisAbsintheLantana leaves

Heart3-4 hrs

TuberoseBoletus edulisCypriol Oil or NagarmothaPapyrusTurnera Diffusa (Damiana)Pepper

Base8-10+ hrs

Soil TincturePrecious WoodsLeather

Top

DatesWhite PepperPeony

Heart

TuberoseYlang-YlangJasmineOrange BlossomOrris

Base

VetiverTonka BeanPrecious WoodsLeather

InformationalShared notesTuberose, Precious Woods and Leather. Durations are only published for Forbidden, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer28

Fall100

Winter64

Day90

Night100

Spring89

Summer61

Fall100

Winter61

Day100

Night86

Category winnerAir of StyleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

Casual 38%Date 32%Work 17%Party 13%

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#11,550

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews14

Category winnerAir of StyleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden by House of Matriarch smells like walking into a shadowed forest after heavy rain while carrying crushed green herbs and sweet white flowers. The opening strikes with a sharp bitter burst of wormwood, absinthe, and aromatic cannabis leaves. Give it ten minutes. The initial sting calms quickly as creamy tuber…

Reviews →

MAC Air of Style opens with a hit of sticky dates, sharp white pepper, and fresh peony. The scent quickly settles into a dense white floral heart where creamy tuberose takes charge alongside sweet ylang-ylang, jasmine, and orange blossom. Leather, earthy vetiver, and dry woods ground the base, cutting through the init…

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 is better, Forbidden or Air of Style?

Air of Style takes 4 of 7 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; Air of Style is rated 4.05/5 from 87 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Air of Style for a white floral and sweet character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Air of Style?

Forbidden lasts longest (Forbidden 68/100, Air of Style 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or Air of Style?

Air of Style projects furthest (Air of Style 65/100, Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and Air of Style smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, woody and tuberose accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Precious Woods and Leather.

Is Forbidden or Air of Style better for summer or winter?

For summer, Air of Style is the stronger pick. For winter, Forbidden is the stronger pick. Forbidden suits evening wear; Air of Style suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden and Air of Style?

Forbidden has top notes of Wormwood, cannabis, Absinthe and Lantana leaves, heart notes of Tuberose, Boletus edulis, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha and Papyrus, a base of Soil Tincture, Precious Woods and Leather. Air of Style has top notes of Dates, White Pepper and Peony, heart notes of Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Jasmine and Orange Blossom, a base of Vetiver, Tonka Bean, Precious Woods and Leather.