Fragrance comparison

Forbidden Elixir vs Très Russe

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 68 ratings analysed

Forbidden Elixir

Sly John's Lab

3.6025 votes

Rank #49,190 CitrusMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Très Russe

Institut Très Bien

3.9743 votes

Rank #17,527 AmberCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Très Russe takes 5 of 7 categories.

Forbidden Elixir
Choose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Très Russe
Choose it for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Forbidden Elixir2/7

Très Russe5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Forbidden ElixirSly John's Lab

Très RusseInstitut Très Bien

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.60/ 5 · 25 votes

Have 36%Had 21%Want 43%

3.97/ 5 · 43 votes

Have 32%Had 8%Want 60%

Category winnerTrès RusseRating 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

30%Love

50%Like

3%Ok

17%Dislike

0%Hate

30 votes

Category winnerTrès RusseMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity56

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityTrès Russe

SillageTrès Russe

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value63

¤ Price value50

Category winnerForbidden ElixirBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

musky88%

white floral77%

aromatic65%

amber53%

floral42%

amber100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

fresh spicy77%

sweet69%

lavender61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, amber and aromatic

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

Top

LavenderLemonMadagascar Ylang-YlangBergamot

Heart

Tonka BeanOrange BlossomVerbena

Base

BenzoinLabdanumRosemaryAmbrette (Musk Mallow)

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Lemon and Orange Blossom. Durations are only published for Forbidden Elixir, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall86

Winter14

Day100

Night43

Spring13

Summer13

Fall75

Winter100

Day50

Night100

Category winnerForbidden ElixirMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex50

Women50

Men0

Unisex83

Women17

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#49,190

PerfumerAne Ayo

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#17,527

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerTrès RusseHigher 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 →

Très Russe by Institut Très Bien is a nuanced unisex scent that leans into amber and citrus accords. It offers an initial burst of Bergamot and Lemon that quickly softens, settling into a base of Benzoin, Labdanum, and Musk Mallow. This fragrance works well in cooler weather or for evening wear when you want a classic…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Forbidden Elixir or Très Russe?

Très Russe takes 5 of 7 categories. Forbidden Elixir is rated 3.60/5 from 25 votes; Très Russe is rated 3.97/5 from 43 votes. Choose Forbidden Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on value for money and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Très Russe for a amber and citrus character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Forbidden Elixir or Très Russe?

Très Russe lasts longest (Très Russe 72/100, Forbidden Elixir 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Forbidden Elixir or Très Russe?

Très Russe projects furthest (Très Russe 63/100, Forbidden Elixir 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Forbidden Elixir and Très Russe smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, amber and aromatic accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Lemon and Orange Blossom.

Is Forbidden Elixir or Très Russe better for summer or winter?

For summer, Forbidden Elixir is the stronger pick. For winter, Très Russe is the stronger pick. Forbidden Elixir suits daytime wear; Très Russe suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Forbidden Elixir and Très Russe?

Forbidden Elixir has top notes of Bergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Lemon, heart notes of Orange Blossom, a base of Muscenone, Ambroxan and Patchouli. Très Russe has top notes of Lavender, Lemon, Madagascar Ylang-Ylang and Bergamot, heart notes of Tonka Bean, Orange Blossom and Verbena, a base of Benzoin, Labdanum, Rosemary and Ambrette (Musk Mallow).