Fragrance comparison

Forbidden Dream vs Irene

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 12 ratings analysed

Forbidden Dream

Ubaya · 2021

3.7311 votes

Rank #51,109 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

71%scent match

Closely related

Irene

Santiago Luxury Parfum

4.001 votes

Rank #61,083 AmberRose

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2.

Forbidden Dream
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Irene
Choose it for a amber and rose character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Forbidden Dream2/4

Irene2/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden DreamUbaya

IreneSantiago Luxury Parfum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 33%Had 22%Want 44%

4.00/ 5 · 1 votes

Have 25%Had 25%Want 50%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

27%Love

27%Like

36%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

0%Love

100%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

1 vote · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityForbidden Dream

SillageIrene

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value75

Category winnerIreneBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy88%

smoky77%

balsamic65%

rose53%

fruity42%

amber100%

rose92%

oud84%

warm spicy77%

fruity69%

smoky61%

Scent match71%Closely related · both amber, warm spicy and rose

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top20-30 mins

IncenseRaspberry

Heart2-4 hrs

BenzoinRose

Base5-7 hrs

AmberwoodGeranium

Top

RoseOudRaspberry

Heart

BenzoinAmberwoodBirch

Base

SaffronIncense

InformationalShared notesIncense, Raspberry, Benzoin and Rose. Durations are only published for Forbidden Dream, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring43

Summer14

Fall71

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex64

Women18

Date 36%Casual 28%Work 19%Party 17%

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,109

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2021

Reviews1

Overall rank#61,083

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerForbidden DreamHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden Dream by Ubaya opens with a loud, tart raspberry note spliced directly into dry incense smoke. Do not overspray it. That initial burst feels sharp and punchy for three minutes until the solvent evaporates completely. As the resin warms against your pulse points, sweet golden benzoin and velvety red rose emer…

Reviews →

Irene by Santiago Luxury Parfum opens with a bright splash of juicy red raspberry paired with velvety rose petals and dark oud wood. As the initial sweetness settles on skin, warm benzoin resin and dry amberwood create a cozy, resinous foundation, while smoky birch adds a faint trace of smooth leather. In the late dry…

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 Dream or Irene?

No clear winner: the 4 categories split 2–2. Forbidden Dream is rated 3.73/5 from 11 votes; Irene is rated 4.00/5 from 1 votes. Choose Forbidden Dream for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on longevity and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Irene for a amber and rose character. Wins on sillage & projection and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden Dream or Irene?

They last about the same: Forbidden Dream 62/100, Irene 60/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden Dream or Irene?

Irene projects furthest (Irene 75/100, Forbidden Dream 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden Dream and Irene smell similar?

Closely related: a 71% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and rose accords. Common notes include Incense, Raspberry, Benzoin and Rose.

Is Forbidden Dream or Irene better for summer or winter?

Forbidden Dream suits evening wear; Irene suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden Dream and Irene?

Forbidden Dream has top notes of Incense and Raspberry, heart notes of Benzoin and Rose, a base of Amberwood and Geranium. Irene has top notes of Rose, Oud and Raspberry, heart notes of Benzoin, Amberwood and Birch, a base of Saffron and Incense.