Forbidden is rooted in layers of historically feared and even outlawed essences. It begins with an erogenous absinthe and damiana opening, then sweetly drops into an intoxicating heart accord of tuberose, wild mushroom and papyrus. A smooth finish of precious woods, snake leather and sweet-baked earth complete the rapturous and totally unique fragrance encounter. Launched in 2012 and created by Christi Meshell, Forbidden is a white floral fragrance that features top notes of wormwood, cannabis, absinthe and lantana leaves; middle notes of tuberose, wild mushroom, cypriol oil (nagarmotha), papyrus, damiana and pepper; and base notes of sweet baked earth, precious woods and snake leather. It is a 100% natural perfume.
Created by founder and perfumer Christi Meshell, House of Matriarch's fragrances are made using the highest quality, certified kosher, natural ethanol distilled in Washington (from organic apples and grapes) so they will continue to smell better and better with time. Halal approved.
HOUSE OF MATRIARCH FORBIDDEN REVIEWS
Fragrantica: "I’ve not once thought about liquidating my entire collection immediately after smelling a fragrance, but this one did exactly that for me. Note-wise I get illicit-smelling botanical notes that last forever, as well as damiana, with a base of dust, dirt, snuffed resins, and a really unusual and airy leather note. It has a smell that sent me immediately to a thrift/witchcraft/bootleg record/headshop I hung out in all the time in the 90s/early 00s as a teenager. I’ve been slapped in the face with nostalgia before, but the combination of memories, tantalizing dangerous notes and the surprise that it is in fact, an objectively beautiful piece of art— made it an immediate full size for me. I have not smelled anything like this in perfume, and raised the bar for me in my “witchy smells” category. Don’t wear this to the office, but I’d recommend a sample of this to anyone interested in fragrance as an art."
Fragrantica: "Beautiful earthy scent. Earth goddess of pagan times. If I smelled this in a crowded room I would feel a woman would be wearying it rather than a man. It is still unisex, just feminine leaning. In my imagination this is what a fertility dance of Celtic women on a spring day surrounded by grasses, trees, damp earth and a little home brew shared by all would smell like. House of Matriarch perfumes are unique- always a joy ride for the senses but complicated so I would recommend sampling."
Fragrantica: "Truly witchy. I'm obsessed! It smells rare and unfamiliar, even scary. Forbidden. The tuberose doesn't add what I'd call pretty or sexy, but gives me the confidence to wear it in public. Feminine imo but totally unisex."
Fragrantica: "I really love this fragrance, HoM is amazing at making earthy scents wearable. That being said, although it is unisex, I think it's not something I'd wear as a man. But yes, witchy, earthy tuberose, as someone else said, it seems like something Amouage might make (but not quite). If I smelled this on a woman it would not only smell good but it would be very intriguing. Like, "what secrets are you hiding?"
Fragrantica: "OMG the tuberose is tamed by the earthy, soil tincture elements. I really like where this is going and how it gets there... That said, there are a lot of similarities between this and Kyphi, and by extension LHE. I really like this one. I really REALLY like it."
Fragrantica: "This is absolutely stunning. It is like a white floral version of Blackbird (Black No.1) minus the leather, with better performance. It is a white floral fragrance, but a moist, dirty, quiet one. It’s not one of those heady, sweet ones mostly seen in the market today. On me the dry down is earth and cannabis. In humid weather this lasted 6+ hours through drinking and smoking. Slight cannabis smell still detectable after showering. I hope Christi releases 100ml options because this one is a keeper. Edit: I think performance differs greatly for each person, so test first. I have worn this several times now and on me it lasts 10+ hours, however most reviews here claim poor longevity so I think this perfume relies heavily on skin chemistry."
Fragrantica: "I had to do some research on these ingredients because I had no idea what I was smelling. I think this damiana (“Damiana: Sweet, fruity, bright, with earthy undertones.”) must be the star of this fragrance along with the tuberose. Forbidden opens as a very warm, almost fruity, moist, and mildly sweet absinthe fragrance underscored by an (unsweet) incense base. The mushroom gives it a great savory wet quality I just love. It really develops quite a bit so give it time on your skin. A year later: This fragrance is delicious and addictive if a little weird. This is one of the few of this brand I've tried that has a clarity vs the dustiness that people associate with HoM. This really smells like nothing else. It's floral, sweet, fruity and ripe, yet also savory, smoky and earthy. I love the marijuana smell in this. This fragrance, and all of the HoM fragrances I've purchased to sample, have 'matured' after sitting for a year; they all have gotten smoother and more delicious the longer they sit. I highly recommend Forbidden, and also, to take your time with this one. It’s definitely grown on me with multiple tries. This is Art."
Fragrantica: "This is a spell being cast in a dark forest. It unleashes a fierce wind that blows and picks up all the scents of the wild. Mushrooms, magic and mayhem! A storm of forbidden ingredients that takes me to some of my most enchanted fantasies. HoM says "Nature is the Ultimate Luxury". The natural ingredients in their perfumes contain all the nuances that nature offers. Forbidden is a microscope of the glooming, the outlawed, the hallucenogenic. These mind expanding notes combine with tuberose to create a scent that conjures a seductive, bewitching aroma to free your imagination."
