Forbidden

As I write this tonight the very last bottle of Forbidden was just sold off FragranceUSA, and I'm pretty sure that was the last one to be sold literally anywhere. A shame for many, but a small blessing for those who own this very unique gourmand. Nothing smells like this, and the very first day I wore it I had numerous people from work to drinks afterward complimenting it and asking what it was. The opening is gorgeous bright orange/cherry and rich chocolate, that dries down to a decadent sweet table of fruit-filled baked goods in an aromatic dark forest. I know that sounds verbose and corny but that is literally what this smells like, and it's amazing. The concept of this frag is the scent of the "Mad Hatter's Tea Party" and it's insane how close they nailed this. The awesome foundation and blend of base notes makes this extremely wearable and you don't just smell like a piece of sweet cake, it is very complex. I can distinguish individually between all the delicious top & mid notes, and the base notes are so well blended and smooth I feel like they could even stand on their own without the gourmand front. The story behind this frag makes it even more intriguing, as it was discontinued due to personal trauma associated with it from an incident at the ATH factory with the man who conceptualized and helped craft it, a co-worker of Aaron. This is something he has spoken about on livestreams and Q&As so it's no real secret if you follow him. This fragrance lives up to it's name even more that it is unavailable, banished, discontinued and even in the mind of it's creator, Forbidden.

Smells like an organic cherry pie with a bit of chocolate and honey. The chocolate is actually very present at open and I just wish it was stronger on dry down but It’s still there and very lovely and for a gourmand it’s very fresh and wearable. It’s honestly so realistic to a pastry it almost smells edible. The dry down makes me want to bite my arm off cause this might be the best cherry note Ive smelled. Would buy again. 9/10 Update: giving this a 10/10 I finally found out what it smells like to me. It smells like those dark chocolate bars with orange in them mixed with a realistic cherry note. This fragrance may be perfect and my favorite gourmand. On the same level of angels share and might be one of the most underrated fragrances of all time

Recently sold my matte bottle to someone who can cherish it better. I got lucky enough to pick one up before it got word of discontinuation and hype. I was looking for a dark, masculine chocolate covered cherry fragrance. ATH dna differs in this from hard candy elixr. Not as sweet and playful, instead more rosy and powdery as it dried down. Oud so smooth any funkiness is only detectable in the opening. I found that the chocolate being the top note, unfortunately goes away pretty fast. Wish it lasted longer throughout the life of it. This was 10/10 scent wise for me but it’s hard to wear so it gets a 9.5/10.

Masterful gourmand feast I love it from beginning to end. I don't necessarily wear it since I have a small bottle and moved to Germany recently so I can't buy Aaron's perfumes anymore :((( but sometimes I spray it on my wrist during tea time (yes, it has a tea + bakewell cake note) and just indulge my senses. It's not a super sweet fragrance, mind you - it's a sophisticated, well-balanced gourmand perfume. It's like eating small pralines one by one from a master chocolatier collection - each with a different filling - during your afternoon tea. So English. Superb.

I find this fragrance oriented more to the artisan side of perfumery - not quite mass-appealing- so if that's what you're looking for, this is not for you. Nonetheless, I love 'Forbidden'! It's a unique gourmand with so many layers that every single sniff will differ from the previous one. The only thing I can compare this with would be a luxurious dessert in which you catch new and different flavors with each bite. I'm loving the ATH house, and can't wait to get my hands on more of his fragrances.