Fragrance comparison

Forbidden Dream vs Jean Lowe Noir

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 497 ratings analysed

Forbidden Dream

Ubaya · 2021

3.7311 votes

Rank #51,744 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

70%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Jean Lowe Noir

Maison Alhambra

4.09486 votes

Rank #1,187 AmberOud

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jean Lowe Noir takes 5 of 5 categories.

Forbidden Dream
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in winter, evening wear.
Jean Lowe Noir
Choose it for a amber and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Forbidden Dream0/5

Jean Lowe Noir5/5

Ratings & consensus: Jean Lowe Noir
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Jean Lowe Noir
Sillage & projection: Jean Lowe Noir
Value for money: Jean Lowe Noir
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jean Lowe Noir

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden DreamUbaya

Jean Lowe NoirMaison Alhambra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 33%Had 22%Want 44%

4.09/ 5 · 486 votes

Have 91%Had 9%Want 0%

Category winnerJean Lowe NoirRating 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

49%Love

30%Like

8%Ok

6%Dislike

6%Hate

486 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityJean Lowe Noir

SillageJean Lowe Noir

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value87

Category winnerJean Lowe NoirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy88%

smoky77%

balsamic65%

rose53%

fruity42%

amber100%

oud88%

warm spicy77%

smoky65%

rose53%

balsamic42%

Scent match70%Closely related · both amber, warm spicy and smoky

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

Agarwood (Oud)Incense

Heart

RoseRaspberrySaffronBirch

Base

AmberBenzoinGeranium

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

Spring22

Summer6

Fall82

Winter100

Day100

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex64

Women18

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

Men89

Unisex9

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,744

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2021

Reviews1

Overall rank#1,187

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews73

Category winnerJean Lowe NoirHigher 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 →

Jean Lowe Noir by Maison Alhambra delivers a dense, resinous profile anchored in incense and dark woods. It leans heavily into oud and spice, offering an intense presence suited for winter evenings and formal wear. The fragrance balances smoky depth with a persistent rose heart, creating a polarizing and strictly masc…

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 Jean Lowe Noir?

Jean Lowe Noir takes 5 of 5 categories. Forbidden Dream is rated 3.73/5 from 11 votes; Jean Lowe Noir is rated 4.09/5 from 486 votes. Choose Forbidden Dream for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Jean Lowe Noir for a amber and oud character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden Dream or Jean Lowe Noir?

Jean Lowe Noir lasts longest (Jean Lowe Noir 80/100, Forbidden Dream 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden Dream or Jean Lowe Noir?

Jean Lowe Noir projects furthest (Jean Lowe Noir 73/100, Forbidden Dream 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden Dream and Jean Lowe Noir smell similar?

Closely related: a 70% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and smoky accords. Common notes include Incense, Raspberry, Benzoin and Rose.

Is Forbidden Dream or Jean Lowe Noir better for summer or winter?

Forbidden Dream suits evening wear; Jean Lowe Noir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden Dream and Jean Lowe Noir?

Forbidden Dream has top notes of Incense and Raspberry, heart notes of Benzoin and Rose, a base of Amberwood and Geranium. Jean Lowe Noir has top notes of Agarwood (Oud) and Incense, heart notes of Rose, Raspberry, Saffron and Birch, a base of Amber, Benzoin and Geranium.