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FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Forbidden Elixir vs Puredistance No. 12

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

Updated 184 ratings analysed
Some overlap
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 6 of 8 categories.

  • Forbidden Elixir

    Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.

  • Puredistance No. 12

    Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Forbidden Elixir2/8
Puredistance No. 126/8
Ratings & consensus
Puredistance No. 12
Community sentiment
Puredistance No. 12
Longevity
Puredistance No. 12
Sillage & projection
Puredistance No. 12
Value for money
Forbidden Elixir
Versatility
Forbidden Elixir
Note pyramid (duration)
Puredistance No. 12
Fragranxe ranking
Puredistance No. 12

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Forbidden ElixirSly John's Lab
Puredistance No. 12Puredistance
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.60/ 5 · 25 votes
Have 36%Had 21%Want 43%
3.89/ 5 · 159 votes
Have 45%Had 11%Want 43%
Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Rating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
28%Love
28%Like
24%Ok
16%Dislike
4%Hate

25 votes

39%Love
31%Like
15%Ok
10%Dislike
5%Hate

159 votes

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Most positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity56
〰 Sillage43
♥ Love / hate65
⏱ Longevity72
〰 Sillage56
♥ Love / hate72
Category winners

LongevityPuredistance No. 12

SillagePuredistance No. 12

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value63
¤ Price value23
Category winnerForbidden ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
citrus100%
musky88%
white floral77%
aromatic65%
amber53%
floral42%
powdery100%
floral92%
white floral84%
musky77%
woody69%
aromatic61%
Scent match43%Some overlap · both musky, white floral and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Top15-30 mins
BergamotAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Lemon
Heart2-4 hrs
Orange Blossom
Base6-8+ hrs
MuscenoneAmbroxanPatchouli
Top20-30 mins
NarcissusYlang-YlangBergamotCardamomMandarin OrangeCoriander
Heart3-5 hrs
Orris RootHedioneLily-of-the-ValleyHeliotropeGeraniumJasmineOrange BlossomRose
Base8-12 hrs
MuskAmbroxanPatchouliSandalwoodAmbrette (Musk Mallow)VetiverOakmossVanilla
Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Longest dry-down: 8-12 hrs

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring100
Summer100
Fall86
Winter14
Day100
Night43
Spring100
Summer49
Fall0
Winter68
Day100
Night87
Category winnerForbidden ElixirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men0
Unisex50
Women50
Men0
Unisex28
Women72
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#49,190

PerfumerAne Ayo

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#13,950

PerfumerNathalie Feisthauer

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerPuredistance No. 12Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Forbidden Elixir by Sly John's Lab bursts open with a bright splash of tart lemon and juicy bergamot, instantly giving off the clean feeling of sunshine hitting chilled citrus peel. Within twenty minutes, a sweet, sunny orange blossom emerges to smooth away any sharp edges, blending into the vegetal warmth of ambrette…

Reviews →

Puredistance No. 12 is a rich floral chypre that feels like slipping into a fine cashmere sweater. Nathalie Feisthauer crafted this 25 percent extrait to deliver seamless luxury. The scent opens with a sharp burst of bergamot, mandarin orange, and crushed coriander seeds. This energetic citrus spark softens quickly as…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Forbidden Elixir or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 takes 6 of 8 categories. Forbidden Elixir is rated 3.60/5 from 25 votes; Puredistance No. 12 is rated 3.89/5 from 159 votes. Choose Forbidden Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Puredistance No. 12 for a powdery and floral character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden Elixir or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 lasts longest (Puredistance No. 12 72/100, Forbidden Elixir 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden Elixir or Puredistance No. 12?

Puredistance No. 12 projects furthest (Puredistance No. 12 56/100, Forbidden Elixir 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden Elixir and Puredistance No. 12 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky, white floral and floral accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Orange Blossom and Ambroxan.

Is Forbidden Elixir or Puredistance No. 12 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Forbidden Elixir is the stronger pick. For winter, Puredistance No. 12 is the stronger pick. Forbidden Elixir suits daytime wear; Puredistance No. 12 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden Elixir and Puredistance No. 12?

Forbidden Elixir has top notes of Bergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Lemon, heart notes of Orange Blossom, a base of Muscenone, Ambroxan and Patchouli. Puredistance No. 12 has top notes of Narcissus, Ylang-Ylang, Bergamot and Cardamom, heart notes of Orris Root, Hedione, Lily-of-the-Valley and Heliotrope, a base of Musk, Ambroxan, Patchouli and Sandalwood.

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