Fragrance comparison

Forbidden Dream vs Vesuvius

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

Updated 18 Oct 2026 13 ratings analysed

Forbidden Dream

Ubaya · 2021

3.7311 votes

Rank #51,744 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

69%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Vesuvius

Pompeii

5.002 votes

Rank #42,993 SmokyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Vesuvius takes 3 of 4 categories.

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

Forbidden Dream1/4

Vesuvius3/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden DreamUbaya

VesuviusPompeii

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.73/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 33%Had 22%Want 44%

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ Longevity100

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevityVesuvius

SillageVesuvius

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value50

Category winnerForbidden DreamBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy88%

smoky77%

balsamic65%

rose53%

fruity42%

smoky100%

amber90%

leather80%

woody70%

warm spicy60%

balsamic50%

Scent match69%Closely related · both amber, smoky and warm spicy

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

BirchIncenseSaffron

Heart

AmberwoodRoseGeranium

Base

OudRaspberryBenzoinMusk

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

Fall33

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex64

Women18

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

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#51,744

PerfumerNot listed

Launched2021

Reviews1

Overall rank#42,993

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerVesuviusHigher 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 →

Vesuvius by Pompeii opens with dark birch, tarry incense, and warm saffron before settling into a deep heart of amberwood and smoky oud. A quiet streak of tart raspberry and dry geranium cuts through the ash, giving the dark leather profile a sharp, modern edge. It wears best during crisp autumn evenings and freezing …

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 Vesuvius?

Vesuvius takes 3 of 4 categories. Forbidden Dream is rated 3.73/5 from 11 votes; Vesuvius is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Forbidden Dream for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Vesuvius for a smoky and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden Dream or Vesuvius?

Vesuvius lasts longest (Vesuvius 100/100, Forbidden Dream 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden Dream or Vesuvius?

Vesuvius projects furthest (Vesuvius 88/100, Forbidden Dream 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden Dream and Vesuvius smell similar?

Closely related: a 69% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, smoky and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Raspberry, Benzoin and Rose.

Is Forbidden Dream or Vesuvius better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Forbidden Dream and Vesuvius?

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