Fragrance comparison

Kabuki vs Forbidden Rouge

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 76 ratings analysed

Kabuki

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab

3.8020 votes

Rank #22,033 MuskyCherry

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Forbidden Rouge

Mystikum

3.7856 votes

Rank #12,545 FruitySweet

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Forbidden Rouge takes 4 of 5 categories.

Kabuki
Choose it for a musky and cherry character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear.
Forbidden Rouge
Choose it for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Kabuki1/5

Forbidden Rouge4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

KabukiBlack Phoenix Alchemy Lab

Forbidden RougeMystikum

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.80/ 5 · 20 votes

Have 24%Had 14%Want 62%

3.78/ 5 · 56 votes

Have 24%Had 2%Want 74%

Category winnerForbidden RougeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

20%Love

55%Like

15%Ok

5%Dislike

5%Hate

20 votes · too few to score

38%Love

13%Like

38%Ok

13%Dislike

0%Hate

16 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity79

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityForbidden Rouge

SillageForbidden Rouge

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value88

¤ Price value50

Category winnerKabukiBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

cherry90%

anis80%

powdery70%

soft spicy60%

sweet50%

fruity100%

sweet92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

vanilla69%

floral61%

Scent match12%Clearly different · both sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

MuskCherryStar Anise

No top / heart / base split published

Top

BlackcurrantSaffronStar AniseBergamotGingerClary Sage

Heart

RaspberryFreesiaCaramelCherryLavenderRosemary

Base

Tonka BeanVanillaPatchouliCedarwoodVetiver

InformationalShared notesCherry and Star Anise. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring0

Summer0

Fall67

Winter100

Day33

Night100

Spring25

Summer38

Fall100

Winter88

Day25

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex75

Women25

Men10

Unisex30

Women60

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#22,033

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#12,545

PerfumerRalf Schwieger

Launched—

Reviews11

Category winnerForbidden RougeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Kabuki opens with syrupy cherry and star anise over a soft red musk base, then settles into something warmer and stranger on skin. Reviews often describe a sweet rice-like, powdery finish, with the cherry fading earlier than the musk. It suits shoppers who enjoy unconventional gourmand-leaning musks more than a straig…

Reviews →

Forbidden Rouge reads as a fruity, sweet, spice-tinted scent with a polished, easy blend. Blackcurrant, cherry and raspberry sit over saffron, anise and aromatic herbs, then settle into vanilla, tonka, patchouli and woods. It appears to lean slightly feminine to some wearers, though the structure stays broadly unisex.…

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, Kabuki or Forbidden Rouge?

Forbidden Rouge takes 4 of 5 categories. Kabuki is rated 3.80/5 from 20 votes; Forbidden Rouge is rated 3.78/5 from 56 votes. Choose Kabuki for a musky and cherry character. Wins on value for money. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Forbidden Rouge for a fruity and sweet character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Kabuki or Forbidden Rouge?

Forbidden Rouge lasts longest (Forbidden Rouge 79/100, Kabuki 64/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Kabuki or Forbidden Rouge?

Forbidden Rouge projects furthest (Forbidden Rouge 73/100, Kabuki 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Kabuki and Forbidden Rouge smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet accords. Common notes include Cherry and Star Anise.

Is Kabuki or Forbidden Rouge better for summer or winter?

Kabuki suits evening wear; Forbidden Rouge suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Kabuki and Forbidden Rouge?

Kabuki features Musk, Cherry and Star Anise. Forbidden Rouge has top notes of Blackcurrant, Saffron, Star Anise and Bergamot, heart notes of Raspberry, Freesia, Caramel and Cherry, a base of Tonka Bean, Vanilla, Patchouli and Cedarwood.