Fragrance comparison

Break Free vs Soft Focus

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 102 ratings analysed

Break Free

American Eagle

3.6010 votes

Rank #64,210 SaltyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Soft Focus

FZOTIC

4.1392 votes

Rank #11,793 FruityWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Soft Focus takes 4 of 5 categories.

Break Free
Choose it for a salty and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Soft Focus
Choose it for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Break Free1/5

Soft Focus4/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Break FreeAmerican Eagle

Soft FocusFZOTIC

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.60/ 5 · 10 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

4.13/ 5 · 92 votes

Have 25%Had 7%Want 68%

Category winnerSoft FocusRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

70%Like

20%Ok

10%Dislike

0%Hate

10 votes · too few to score

47%Love

33%Like

10%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

92 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity53

〰 Sillage40

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity64

〰 Sillage53

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevitySoft Focus

SillageSoft Focus

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value61

¤ Price value57

Category winnerBreak FreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

salty100%

floral83%

marine65%

woody48%

fresh spicy30%

fruity100%

woody92%

salty84%

tropical77%

citrus69%

marine61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both salty, woody and marine

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

White Ginger LilySea SaltDriftwood

No top / heart / base split published

Top15-30 mins

LimeGuavaPineapple

Heart2-4 hrs

DriftwoodSea Salt

Base6-8 hrs

LeatherSandalwood

InformationalShared notesSea Salt and Driftwood. Durations are only published for Soft Focus, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer100

Fall50

Winter25

Day100

Night50

Spring85

Summer100

Fall17

Winter4

Day100

Night42

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men73

Unisex27

Women0

Men26

Unisex60

Women15

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#64,210

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#11,793

PerfumerBruno Fazzolari

Launched—

Reviews20

Category winnerSoft FocusHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Break Free by American Eagle delivers a straightforward, salt-forward woody aromatic profile that leans on the clarity of sea salt and white ginger lily. Designed as a clean daily wearer for men and women, it offers a crisp, breezy experience that sits close to the skin, making it a reliable option for warm weather an…

Reviews →

Soft Focus by FZOTIC presents a dry, sun-drenched interpretation of tropical fruit that avoids syrupy sweetness. The opening hits with sharp lime, tart guava, and unsweetened pineapple flesh. Within twenty minutes, the bright citrus flash recedes into a mineral heart of sea salt and sun-bleached driftwood. The base an…

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, Break Free or Soft Focus?

Soft Focus takes 4 of 5 categories. Break Free is rated 3.60/5 from 10 votes; Soft Focus is rated 4.13/5 from 92 votes. Choose Break Free for a salty and floral character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Soft Focus for a fruity and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Break Free or Soft Focus?

Soft Focus lasts longest (Soft Focus 64/100, Break Free 53/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Break Free or Soft Focus?

Soft Focus projects furthest (Soft Focus 53/100, Break Free 40/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Break Free and Soft Focus smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share salty, woody and marine accords. Common notes include Sea Salt and Driftwood.

Is Break Free or Soft Focus better for summer or winter?

Break Free suits daytime wear; Soft Focus suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Break Free and Soft Focus?

Break Free features White Ginger Lily, Sea Salt and Driftwood. Soft Focus has top notes of Lime, Guava and Pineapple, heart notes of Driftwood and Sea Salt, a base of Leather and Sandalwood.