Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs King Cobra

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 851 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

46%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

King Cobra

Zoologist Perfumes

3.99738 votes

Rank #1,035 EarthySmoky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

King Cobra takes 4 of 7 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
King Cobra
Choose it for a earthy and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Forbidden3/7

King Cobra4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

King CobraZoologist Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

3.99/ 5 · 738 votes

Have 86%Had 14%Want 0%

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

46%Love

28%Like

14%Ok

7%Dislike

6%Hate

549 votes

Category winnerForbiddenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityKing Cobra

SillageKing Cobra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value50

Category winnerKing CobraBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

earthy100%

smoky92%

green84%

aromatic77%

amber69%

woody61%

Scent match46%Some overlap · both earthy, aromatic and woody

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

cannabisCamphorPomeloPetitgrainFig LeafMandarin

Heart

Soil TinctureBlack TeaCuminLeather

Base

IncenseMossVetiverPatchouliAmber

InformationalShared notescannabis, Soil Tincture 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

Summer0

Fall0

Winter84

Day–

Night–

Category winnerForbiddenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

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

Men61

Unisex36

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,035

PerfumerPrin Lomros

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerKing CobraHigher 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 →

King Cobra opens sharp, green and humid, with camphor, cannabis leaf and bitter citrus pushing forward fast. Soon the scent settles into dark soil, dry incense, leather and moss, giving it a smoky, earthy character that feels more ritualistic than easygoing. This suits wearers who enjoy challenging green fragrances wi…

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 King Cobra?

King Cobra takes 4 of 7 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; King Cobra is rated 3.99/5 from 738 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose King Cobra for a earthy and smoky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or King Cobra?

King Cobra lasts longest (King Cobra 76/100, Forbidden 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or King Cobra?

King Cobra projects furthest (King Cobra 67/100, Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and King Cobra smell similar?

Some overlap: a 46% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share earthy, aromatic and woody accords. Common notes include cannabis, Soil Tincture and Leather.

Is Forbidden or King Cobra better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Forbidden and King Cobra?

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. King Cobra has top notes of cannabis, Camphor, Pomelo and Petitgrain, heart notes of Soil Tincture, Black Tea, Cumin and Leather, a base of Incense, Moss, Vetiver and Patchouli.