Skip to content
FRAGRANXE
Fragrance comparison

Labdanum 18 vs Forbidden 1

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

Updated 1,557 ratings analysed
Clearly different
Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Forbidden 1 takes 3 of 5 categories.

  • Labdanum 18

    Choose it for a musky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear.

  • Forbidden 1

    Choose it for a warm spicy and powdery character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Labdanum 181/5
Forbidden 13/5
Ratings & consensus
Not scored
Community sentiment
Not scored
Longevity
Forbidden 1
Sillage & projection
Tie
Value for money
Forbidden 1
Versatility
Not scored
Note pyramid (duration)
Forbidden 1
Fragranxe ranking
Labdanum 18

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance
Labdanum 18Le Labo
Forbidden 1The Dua Brand
Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split
3.95/ 5 · 1,551 votes
Have 37%Had 12%Want 52%
4.83/ 5 · 6 votes
Have 58%Had 0%Want 42%
Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate
38%Love
36%Like
11%Ok
13%Dislike
2%Hate

1,551 votes

83%Love
17%Like
0%Ok
0%Dislike
0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores
⏱ Longevity69
〰 Sillage58
♥ Love / hate74
⏱ Longevity73
〰 Sillage58
♥ Love / hate96
Category winners

LongevityForbidden 1

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it
¤ Price value27
¤ Price value75
Category winnerForbidden 1Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both
musky100%
amber92%
woody84%
vanilla77%
leather69%
animalic61%
warm spicy100%
powdery92%
amber84%
sweet77%
vanilla69%
yellow floral61%
Scent match21%Clearly different · both amber and vanilla

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared
Notes
French labdanumVanillaCivettaMuskCastoreumResinsTonka BeanGurjan balsamBirchPatchouliCinnamon

No top / heart / base split published

Notes
Ylang-YlangSaffronJasmineSuedeTolu BalsamTonka BeanOrris RootClovesOudSandalwoodCivetCopaiba balm

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerForbidden 1Longest dry-down: 6 to 8 hours

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season
Spring40
Summer22
Fall100
Winter92
Day99
Night100
Spring0
Summer0
Fall100
Winter100
Day–
Night100
Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes
Men12
Unisex62
Women26
Men80
Unisex20
Women0
InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,903

PerfumerMaurice Roucel

Launched—

Reviews204

Overall rank#34,823

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerLabdanum 18Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Labdanum 18 by Le Labo is an amber, musky scent built around a soft and powdery warmth. Rather than projecting an aggressive, dark leather aroma, it hugs close to the skin with sweet vanilla, balsamic resins, and cozy musk. Notes of French labdanum, cinnamon, and gurjan balsam provide a rich, golden center, while hint…

Reviews →

Forbidden 1 by The Dua Brand is an oriental woody extrait de parfum built around warm spices, resins, and florals. It opens with an immediate contrast between bright lemon and bergamot and a dense base of saffron, cloves, and cinnamon. As the initial citrus settles, a rich floral heart of jasmine, ylang-ylang, and pow…

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, Labdanum 18 or Forbidden 1?

Forbidden 1 takes 3 of 5 categories. Labdanum 18 is rated 3.95/5 from 1,551 votes; Forbidden 1 is rated 4.83/5 from 6 votes. Choose Labdanum 18 for a musky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, day or night wear. Choose Forbidden 1 for a warm spicy and powdery character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Labdanum 18 or Forbidden 1?

Forbidden 1 lasts longest (Forbidden 1 73/100, Labdanum 18 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Labdanum 18 or Forbidden 1?

Projection is very close: Labdanum 18 58/100, Forbidden 1 58/100 for sillage.

Do Labdanum 18 and Forbidden 1 smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber and vanilla accords. Common notes include Tonka Bean.

Is Labdanum 18 or Forbidden 1 better for summer or winter?

Labdanum 18 suits day or night wear; Forbidden 1 suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Labdanum 18 and Forbidden 1?

Labdanum 18 features French labdanum, Vanilla, Civetta, Musk and Castoreum. Forbidden 1 features Ylang-Ylang, Saffron, Jasmine, Suede and Tolu Balsam.

Add to comparison

Find a fragrance