Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Clean Slate

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 138 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

33%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Clean Slate

Seven Gates

4.2025 votes

Rank #19,930 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Clean Slate takes 4 of 7 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Clean Slate
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Forbidden2/7

Clean Slate4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

Clean SlateSeven Gates

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

4.20/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 16%Had 2%Want 82%

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

64%Love

16%Like

8%Ok

0%Dislike

12%Hate

25 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity78

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityClean Slate

SillageClean Slate

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value63

Category winnerClean SlateBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

woody100%

leather83%

aromatic65%

smoky48%

warm spicy30%

Scent match33%Clearly different · both woody and aromatic

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

AbsintheInkIncenseNutmegCinnamonBlue Lavender

Heart

BirchVetiverGuaiac WoodWhiskey

Base

PapyrusLeatherCastoreumPatchouli

InformationalShared notesAbsinthe, Papyrus 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

Spring73

Summer27

Fall64

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Category winnerForbiddenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

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

Men57

Unisex43

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#19,930

PerfumerEmilie Bouge

Launched—

Reviews6

Category winnerClean SlateHigher 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 →

Clean Slate by Seven Gates is a dry woody fragrance that cuts through damp weather with a sharp, botanical edge. Developed by perfumer Emilie Bouge in 2024, it layers bitter absinthe and cold incense over a dark base of vetiver and smoky birch. It is built for someone looking for a quiet, introspective scent that thri…

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 Clean Slate?

Clean Slate takes 4 of 7 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; Clean Slate is rated 4.20/5 from 25 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Clean Slate for a woody and leather character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Clean Slate?

Clean Slate lasts longest (Clean Slate 78/100, Forbidden 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or Clean Slate?

Clean Slate projects furthest (Clean Slate 73/100, Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and Clean Slate smell similar?

Clearly different: a 33% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Absinthe, Papyrus and Leather.

Is Forbidden or Clean Slate better for summer or winter?

For summer, Forbidden is the stronger pick. For winter, Clean Slate is the stronger pick. Forbidden suits evening wear; Clean Slate suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden and Clean Slate?

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. Clean Slate has top notes of Absinthe, Ink, Incense and Nutmeg, heart notes of Birch, Vetiver, Guaiac Wood and Whiskey, a base of Papyrus, Leather, Castoreum and Patchouli.