Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Barneys + L’Wren Scott

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 123 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Barneys + L’Wren Scott

Barneys New York

4.4010 votes

Rank #20,004 Warm SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Barneys + L’Wren Scott takes 4 of 4 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Best in fall, evening wear.
Barneys + L’Wren Scott
Choose it for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Forbidden0/4

Barneys + L’Wren Scott4/4

Ratings & consensus: Barneys + L’Wren Scott
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Barneys + L’Wren Scott
Sillage & projection: Barneys + L’Wren Scott
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Barneys + L’Wren Scott

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

Barneys + L’Wren ScottBarneys New York

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

4.40/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 27%Had 2%Want 70%

Category winnerBarneys + L’Wren ScottRating 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

60%Love

30%Like

0%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity95

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate85

Category winners

LongevityBarneys + L’Wren Scott

SillageBarneys + L’Wren Scott

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

warm spicy100%

aromatic92%

soft spicy84%

anis77%

fresh spicy69%

white floral61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both aromatic and white floral

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

Star AniseWormwoodCorianderMandarin Orange

Heart

ClovesMarigoldTuberoseJasmineGeraniumCurry Tree

Base

MuskAmberPatchouliLeatherMoss

InformationalShared notesWormwood, Tuberose 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

Spring100

Summer75

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

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

Men50

Unisex50

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#20,004

PerfumerRalf Schwieger

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerBarneys + L’Wren ScottHigher 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 →

Barneys + L’Wren Scott is a heavy, oil-dense chypre floral that makes a strong statement right from the first spray. It hits the skin with a sharp blast of star anise and bitter wormwood, setting a moody, medicinal tone. As it settles, a thick bouquet of tuberose and marigold emerges, wrapped in the savory greenness o…

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 Barneys + L’Wren Scott?

Barneys + L’Wren Scott takes 4 of 4 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; Barneys + L’Wren Scott is rated 4.40/5 from 10 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Barneys + L’Wren Scott for a warm spicy and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Barneys + L’Wren Scott?

Barneys + L’Wren Scott lasts longest (Barneys + L’Wren Scott 95/100, Forbidden 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or Barneys + L’Wren Scott?

Barneys + L’Wren Scott projects furthest (Barneys + L’Wren Scott 75/100, Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and Barneys + L’Wren Scott smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and white floral accords. Common notes include Wormwood, Tuberose and Leather.

Is Forbidden or Barneys + L’Wren Scott better for summer or winter?

Forbidden suits evening wear; Barneys + L’Wren Scott suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden and Barneys + L’Wren Scott?

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. Barneys + L’Wren Scott has top notes of Star Anise, Wormwood, Coriander and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cloves, Marigold, Tuberose and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Amber, Patchouli and Leather.