Fragrance comparison

Victoria's Secret Forbidden vs Shakespeare in Love

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

Updated 25 Oct 2026 273 ratings analysed

4 wins

Victoria's Secret Forbidden

Victoria's Secret

4.11163 votes

Rank #9,905 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

49%scent match

Some overlap

Shakespeare in Love

A Dozen Roses · 2011

3.62110 votes

Rank #9,938 RoseWhite Floral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Check price

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Victoria's Secret Forbidden takes 4 of 7 categories.

Victoria's Secret Forbidden
Choose it for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.
Shakespeare in Love
Choose it for a rose and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Victoria's Secret Forbidden4/7

Shakespeare in Love3/7

Ratings & consensus: Victoria's Secret Forbidden
Community sentiment: Victoria's Secret Forbidden
Longevity: Shakespeare in Love
Sillage & projection: Shakespeare in Love
Value for money: Victoria's Secret Forbidden
Versatility: Shakespeare in Love
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Victoria's Secret Forbidden

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Victoria's Secret ForbiddenVictoria's Secret

Shakespeare in LoveA Dozen Roses

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.11/ 5 · 163 votes

Have 35%Had 27%Want 38%

3.62/ 5 · 110 votes

Have 67%Had 33%Want 0%

Category winnerVictoria's Secret ForbiddenRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

52%Like

5%Ok

9%Dislike

0%Hate

163 votes

16%Love

55%Like

3%Ok

25%Dislike

1%Hate

110 votes

Category winnerVictoria's Secret ForbiddenMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage49

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityShakespeare in Love

SillageShakespeare in Love

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value38

Category winnerVictoria's Secret ForbiddenBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

woody90%

fruity80%

white floral70%

sweet60%

aquatic50%

rose100%

white floral96%

vanilla69%

fruity47%

woody47%

sweet45%

Scent match49%Some overlap · both white floral, woody and fruity

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Pear

Heart

Jasmine

Base

AmberWoodsy Notes

Top

Pear

Heart

RoseGardeniaJasmine

Base

VanilleWoodsy Notes

InformationalShared notesPear, Jasmine and Woodsy Notes. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter97

Day–

Night–

Spring84

Summer74

Fall100

Winter37

Day100

Night29

Category winnerShakespeare in LoveMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men0

Unisex20

Women80

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#9,905

PerfumerAntoine Maisondieu, Aurélien Guichard

Launched—

Reviews20

Overall rank#9,938

PerfumerLynn Emmolo

Launched2011

Reviews46

Category winnerVictoria's Secret ForbiddenHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Victoria's Secret Forbidden is a floral fruity scent built around juicy pear and delicate jasmine, underscored by warm, resinous amber. It offers a cozy, sensual experience that sits close to the skin, making it a reliable choice for autumn evenings or relaxed dates where you want a scent that feels inviting rather th…

Reviews →

Shakespeare in Love is a rose bouquet fragrance that, on many people, really does smell like its name, fresh roses lifted by juicy pear. Gardenia and jasmine thicken it into a full florist arrangement, then a soft vanilla and woody base can turn it plush. It is sample-first. Some skin pulls it powdery and makeup-like,…

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, Victoria's Secret Forbidden or Shakespeare in Love?

Victoria's Secret Forbidden takes 4 of 7 categories. Victoria's Secret Forbidden is rated 4.11/5 from 163 votes; Shakespeare in Love is rated 3.62/5 from 110 votes. Choose Victoria's Secret Forbidden for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring. Choose Shakespeare in Love for a rose and white floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Victoria's Secret Forbidden or Shakespeare in Love?

Shakespeare in Love lasts longest (Shakespeare in Love 60/100, Victoria's Secret Forbidden 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Victoria's Secret Forbidden or Shakespeare in Love?

Shakespeare in Love projects furthest (Shakespeare in Love 67/100, Victoria's Secret Forbidden 49/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Victoria's Secret Forbidden and Shakespeare in Love smell similar?

Some overlap: a 49% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share white floral, woody and fruity accords. Common notes include Pear, Jasmine and Woodsy Notes.

Is Victoria's Secret Forbidden or Shakespeare in Love better for summer or winter?

For summer, Shakespeare in Love is the stronger pick. For winter, Victoria's Secret Forbidden is the stronger pick. Shakespeare in Love suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Victoria's Secret Forbidden and Shakespeare in Love?

Victoria's Secret Forbidden has top notes of Pear, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of Amber and Woodsy Notes. Shakespeare in Love has top notes of Pear, heart notes of Rose, Gardenia and Jasmine, a base of Vanille and Woodsy Notes.