Fragrance comparison

Forbidden vs Sweta Santala

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 135 ratings analysed

Forbidden

House of Matriarch

4.15113 votes

Rank #28,728 EarthyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Sweta Santala

Odoratika

4.5522 votes

Rank #30,778 WoodyWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Sweta Santala takes 4 of 5 categories.

Forbidden
Choose it for a earthy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Sweta Santala
Choose it for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden1/5

Sweta Santala4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ForbiddenHouse of Matriarch

Sweta SantalaOdoratika

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.15/ 5 · 113 votes

Have 17%Had 5%Want 78%

4.55/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 8%Had 8%Want 84%

Category winnerSweta SantalaRating 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

32%Like

0%Ok

5%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity68

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate79

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage83

♥ Love / hate89

Category winners

LongevitySweta Santala

SillageSweta Santala

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value46

¤ Price value100

Category winnerSweta SantalaBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

earthy100%

woody92%

aromatic84%

tuberose77%

white floral69%

green61%

woody100%

warm spicy90%

aromatic80%

powdery70%

patchouli60%

cacao50%

Scent match31%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

CypressDark ChocolateCacao PodClovesGrassOrange

Heart

PatchouliTuberoseJasmineAbsintheLemonSaffron

Base

SandalwoodPrecious WoodsVanillaWhite MuskCinnamonBenzoinCastoreumLeather

InformationalShared notesAbsinthe, Tuberose, 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

Spring33

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day29

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men12

Unisex59

Women29

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

Men0

Unisex60

Women40

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#28,728

PerfumerChristi Meshell

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#30,778

PerfumerValeria Karmanova

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerForbiddenHigher 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 →

Sweta Santala from Odoratika blends dark chocolate with cypress and clove for a striking, woody opening. This unisex scent settles into a patchouli and sandalwood heart that feels modern and assertive. It works well for fall and winter days when you want a fragrance that projects confidence without leaning into standa…

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 Sweta Santala?

Sweta Santala takes 4 of 5 categories. Forbidden is rated 4.15/5 from 113 votes; Sweta Santala is rated 4.55/5 from 22 votes. Choose Forbidden for a earthy and woody character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Sweta Santala for a woody and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden or Sweta Santala?

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

Which projects more, Forbidden or Sweta Santala?

Sweta Santala projects furthest (Sweta Santala 83/100, Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden and Sweta Santala smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody and aromatic accords. Common notes include Absinthe, Tuberose, Precious Woods and Leather.

Is Forbidden or Sweta Santala better for summer or winter?

Forbidden suits evening wear; Sweta Santala suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden and Sweta Santala?

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. Sweta Santala has top notes of Cypress, Dark Chocolate, Cacao Pod and Cloves, heart notes of Patchouli, Tuberose, Jasmine and Absinthe, a base of Sandalwood, Precious Woods, Vanilla and White Musk.