Fragrance comparison

Abjar vs Free

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 157 ratings analysed

Abjar

The Spirit of Dubai

4.4986 votes

Rank #25,326 WoodyLeather

Full profile Similar & dupes

34%scent match

Clearly different

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Abjar
Choose it for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.
Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Abjar3/7

Free3/7

Ratings & consensus: Abjar
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Abjar
Sillage & projection: Abjar
Value for money: Free
Versatility: Free
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Free

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

AbjarThe Spirit of Dubai

FreeMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.49/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerAbjarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

72%Love

13%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

0%Hate

86 votes

41%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity91

〰 Sillage84

♥ Love / hate87

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityAbjar

SillageAbjar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value28

¤ Price value52

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

leather92%

amber84%

smoky77%

animalic69%

aromatic61%

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

Scent match34%Clearly different · both amber, woody and smoky

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CypressPineClary SageNutmegStyraxAldehydesLavenderPepper

Heart

LeatherEarthy NotesBirch LeafIncenseIndian OudResinsWoody NotesGuaiac Wood

Base

CastoreumCivetTobaccoAgarwood (Oud)AmberTolu BalsamSandalwoodBenzoin

Top30 to 45 minutes

OlibanumIncenseBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

BenzoinLabdanum

Base4 to 6 hours

PatchouliAmberVanilla

InformationalShared notesIncense, Amber and Benzoin. Durations are only published for Free, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring61

Summer25

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring44

Summer22

Fall100

Winter89

Day58

Night100

Category winnerFreeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men74

Unisex20

Women6

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,326

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerFreeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Abjar by The Spirit of Dubai opens with a sharp burst of aromatic cypress, pine needles, and spicy nutmeg before settling into a dense heart of birch leaf and natural leather. As the composition warms on skin, smoky incense, Indian oud, and rich labdanum take control, giving the fragrance a dark resinous texture. The …

Reviews →

Free by Mark Buxton is a resinous amber fragrance built around warm balsamic woods and dry smoke. The scent opens with a crisp flash of bergamot that quickly gives way to aromatic olibanum and cool incense. As it warms, labdanum and sweet benzoin fill the center, creating a rich resin core without heavy syrup. Earthy …

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, Abjar or Free?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Abjar is rated 4.49/5 from 86 votes; Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes. Choose Abjar for a woody and leather character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Abjar or Free?

Abjar lasts longest (Abjar 91/100, Free 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Abjar or Free?

Abjar projects furthest (Abjar 84/100, Free 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Abjar and Free smell similar?

Clearly different: a 34% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, woody and smoky accords. Common notes include Incense, Amber and Benzoin.

Is Abjar or Free better for summer or winter?

For summer, Abjar is the stronger pick. For winter, Abjar is the stronger pick. Free suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Abjar and Free?

Abjar has top notes of Cypress, Pine, Clary Sage and Nutmeg, heart notes of Leather, Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Incense, a base of Castoreum, Civet, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud). Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla.