Fragrance comparison

The Forward vs L'amour Éternel

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 473 ratings analysed

The Forward

Mind Games

4.32399 votes

Rank #26,893 CitrusVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

21%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

L'amour Éternel

Maïssa Parfums

3.5574 votes

Rank #38,076 SweetFruity

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'amour Éternel takes 4 of 7 categories.

The Forward
Choose it for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
L'amour Éternel
Choose it for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.

The Forward3/7

L'amour Éternel4/7

Ratings & consensus: The Forward
Community sentiment: The Forward
Longevity: L'amour Éternel
Sillage & projection: L'amour Éternel
Value for money: L'amour Éternel
Versatility: L'amour Éternel
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: The Forward

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

The ForwardMind Games

L'amour ÉternelMaïssa Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.32/ 5 · 399 votes

Have 36%Had 7%Want 57%

3.55/ 5 · 74 votes

Have 26%Had 6%Want 69%

Category winnerThe ForwardRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

56%Love

26%Like

13%Ok

4%Dislike

1%Hate

399 votes

38%Love

23%Like

12%Ok

11%Dislike

16%Hate

74 votes

Category winnerThe ForwardMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity71

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage73

♥ Love / hate64

Category winners

LongevityL'amour Éternel

SillageL'amour Éternel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value23

¤ Price value43

Category winnerL'amour ÉternelBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

vanilla91%

woody83%

salty74%

powdery65%

sweet56%

sweet100%

fruity92%

tropical84%

musky77%

powdery69%

floral61%

Scent match21%Clearly different · both sweet and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PomeloLemonMandarin Orange

Heart

SaltTonka BeanJasmine Sambac

Base

Madagascar VanillaSandalwoodCashmeran

Top1 to 2 hours

MangoBaie RoseBergamotApricotNectarinePeachMandarin Orange

Heart3 to 4 hours

MagnoliaVioletJasmine SambacGardenia

Base6 to 8 hours

CaramelAmbroxanHoneyMadagascar VanillaWhite MuskCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Jasmine Sambac and Madagascar Vanilla. Durations are only published for L'amour Éternel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer99

Fall0

Winter37

Day–

Night–

Spring90

Summer57

Fall95

Winter100

Day100

Night94

Category winnerL'amour ÉternelMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men27

Unisex56

Women18

Men0

Unisex14

Women86

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#26,893

PerfumerNathalie Benareau

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#38,076

PerfumerSofia Bardelli

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerThe ForwardHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mind Games The Forward opens with a sharp burst of juicy pomelo and bright mandarin orange that fizzes across the skin. The citrus initial spray feels electric and clean. Soon, a noticeable mineral salt accord cuts through the top notes, pulling the profile away from standard cologne territory. As the top notes settl…

Reviews →

L'amour Éternel by Maïssa Parfums is an opulent fruity-floral fragrance that centers on luscious stone fruits, bright citrus, and rich gourmand sweetness. Created by perfumer Sofia Bardelli in 2023, the scent opens with an immediate burst of mango, nectarine, peach, apricot, and sparkling mandarin orange, sharpened ge…

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, The Forward or L'amour Éternel?

L'amour Éternel takes 4 of 7 categories. The Forward is rated 4.32/5 from 399 votes; L'amour Éternel is rated 3.55/5 from 74 votes. Choose The Forward for a citrus and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose L'amour Éternel for a sweet and fruity character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, The Forward or L'amour Éternel?

L'amour Éternel lasts longest (L'amour Éternel 80/100, The Forward 71/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, The Forward or L'amour Éternel?

L'amour Éternel projects furthest (L'amour Éternel 73/100, The Forward 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do The Forward and L'amour Éternel smell similar?

Clearly different: a 21% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share sweet and powdery accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Jasmine Sambac and Madagascar Vanilla.

Is The Forward or L'amour Éternel better for summer or winter?

For summer, The Forward is the stronger pick. For winter, L'amour Éternel is the stronger pick. L'amour Éternel suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in The Forward and L'amour Éternel?

The Forward has top notes of Pomelo, Lemon and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Salt, Tonka Bean and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Madagascar Vanilla, Sandalwood and Cashmeran. L'amour Éternel has top notes of Mango, Baie Rose, Bergamot and Apricot, heart notes of Magnolia, Violet, Jasmine Sambac and Gardenia, a base of Caramel, Ambroxan, Honey and Madagascar Vanilla.