Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Memoir Woman

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 5,087 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

5 wins

Memoir Woman

Amouage

4.214,974 votes

Rank #22,689 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Memoir Woman takes 5 of 7 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Memoir Woman
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Forbidden2/7

Memoir Woman5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

Memoir WomanAmouage

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

4.21/ 5 · 4,974 votes

Have 77%Had 23%Want 0%

Category winnerMemoir WomanRating 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

51%Love

32%Like

4%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

4,974 votes

Category winnerMemoir WomanMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity81

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityMemoir Woman

SillageMemoir Woman

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value39

Category winnerForbiddenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

smoky84%

woody77%

leather69%

aromatic61%

Scent match23%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

WormwoodCardamomPink PepperMandarin Orange

Heart

IncenseCloveWoodsy NotesRoseWhite FlowersPepperJasmine

Base

LeatherFrench labdanumCastoreumStyraxoak mossMusk

InformationalShared notesWormwood, Pepper 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

Spring30

Summer23

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerForbiddenMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

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

Men4

Unisex52

Women43

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#22,689

PerfumerDaniel Maurel, Dorothée Piot

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMemoir WomanHigher 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 →

Amouage Memoir Woman offers a dark, velvet-draped escape into the green smoke of wormwood and rich leather. Designed for cold winter nights, this complex blend pairs cardamoms and clove with a deeply resinous incense trail that refuses to blend into the background. It is a bold, dramatic choice for someone who wears f…

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 Memoir Woman?

Memoir Woman takes 5 of 7 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; Memoir Woman is rated 4.21/5 from 4,974 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Memoir Woman for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Memoir Woman?

Memoir Woman lasts longest (Memoir Woman 81/100, Forbidden 68/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden or Memoir Woman?

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

Do Forbidden and Memoir Woman smell similar?

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

Is Forbidden or Memoir Woman better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Forbidden and Memoir Woman?

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. Memoir Woman has top notes of Wormwood, Cardamom, Pink Pepper and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Incense, Clove, Woodsy Notes and Rose, a base of Leather, French labdanum, Castoreum and Styrax.