Fragrance comparison

CK Free vs Tar

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 1,954 ratings analysed

CK Free

Calvin Klein

3.391,868 votes

Rank #37,294 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

6 wins

Tar

Miguel Matos

3.6586 votes

Rank #7,192 SweetSoft Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tar takes 6 of 7 categories.

CK Free
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Tar
Choose it for a sweet and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

CK Free1/7

Tar6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

CK FreeCalvin Klein

TarMiguel Matos

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.39/ 5 · 1,868 votes

Have 57%Had 36%Want 7%

3.65/ 5 · 86 votes

Have 10%Had 6%Want 84%

Category winnerTarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

9%Love

48%Like

18%Ok

23%Dislike

2%Hate

1,868 votes

52%Love

8%Like

10%Ok

18%Dislike

12%Hate

50 votes

Category winnerCK FreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity41

〰 Sillage37

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityTar

SillageTar

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value70

Category winnerTarBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic88%

fresh spicy77%

anis65%

soft spicy53%

powdery42%

sweet100%

soft spicy92%

smoky84%

anis77%

warm spicy69%

fresh61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both soft spicy and anis

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Juniper BerriesStar AniseWormwoodJackfruit

Heart30 to 60 minutes

SuedeTobaccoBuchu or AgathosmaCoffee

Base1 to 2 hours

Virginia CedarOakWoody NotesPatchouli

Top

LicoriceStar AniseAldehydesPineappleBergamotPalisander Rosewood

Heart

SmokeRumOreganoCinnamonLavenderLily-of-the-ValleyYlang-Ylang

Base

CaramelOpoponaxCoffeeAgarwood (Oud)Animal notesTonka BeanTobaccoMusk

InformationalShared notesStar Anise, Tobacco and Coffee. Durations are only published for CK Free, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring75

Summer100

Fall27

Winter11

Day100

Night17

Spring69

Summer44

Fall88

Winter100

Day59

Night100

Category winnerTarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men89

Unisex10

Women1

Men50

Unisex45

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#37,294

PerfumerEllen Molner, Rodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#7,192

PerfumerMiguel Matos

Launched—

Reviews29

Category winnerTarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

CK Free by Calvin Klein is a light woody aromatic scent designed for straightforward, casual wear. The fragrance opens with an airy mix of crisp juniper berries, star anise, bitter wormwood, and a mild tropical touch of jackfruit. As the initial sharpness settles, a restrained heart of soft suede, dry tobacco leaf, ar…

Reviews →

Tar by Miguel Matos is a dense sweet smoke fragrance built around licorice, star anise, rum, caramel, woods, oud, tobacco and animalic musk. It opens dark and spicy, then settles into a sticky, smoky sweetness that can feel like black honey, melted licorice and warm pavement after summer heat. This is not a quiet ever…

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, CK Free or Tar?

Tar takes 6 of 7 categories. CK Free is rated 3.39/5 from 1,868 votes; Tar is rated 3.65/5 from 86 votes. Choose CK Free for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on community sentiment. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Tar for a sweet and soft spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, CK Free or Tar?

Tar lasts longest (Tar 85/100, CK Free 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, CK Free or Tar?

Tar projects furthest (Tar 75/100, CK Free 37/100), based on community performance votes.

Do CK Free and Tar smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share soft spicy and anis accords. Common notes include Star Anise, Tobacco and Coffee.

Is CK Free or Tar better for summer or winter?

For summer, CK Free is the stronger pick. For winter, Tar is the stronger pick. CK Free suits daytime wear; Tar suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in CK Free and Tar?

CK Free has top notes of Juniper Berries, Star Anise, Wormwood and Jackfruit, heart notes of Suede, Tobacco, Buchu or Agathosma and Coffee, a base of Virginia Cedar, Oak, Woody Notes and Patchouli. Tar has top notes of Licorice, Star Anise, Aldehydes and Pineapple, heart notes of Smoke, Rum, Oregano and Cinnamon, a base of Caramel, Opoponax, Coffee and Agarwood (Oud).