Fragrance comparison

Durra vs Free

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 150 ratings analysed

Durra

The Spirit of Dubai

3.7579 votes

Rank #30,121 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

40%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories.

Durra
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Durra3/7

Free4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

DurraThe Spirit of Dubai

FreeMark Buxton

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

Category winnerFreeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

51%Love

14%Like

6%Ok

18%Dislike

11%Hate

79 votes

41%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

Category winnerFreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity87

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityDurra

SillageDurra

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value26

¤ Price value52

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

amber84%

warm spicy77%

fresh spicy69%

sweet61%

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

Scent match40%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Sea NotesWatery NotesAldehydesOzonic notesClary SagePineLavenderCumin

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)Earthy NotesBirch LeafCashmere WoodWoody NotesSandalwoodIncenseVanilla

Base

CastoreumCivettaMuskImmortelleTolu BalsamPrecious WoodsTobaccoVetiver

Top30 to 45 minutes

OlibanumIncenseBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

BenzoinLabdanum

Base4 to 6 hours

PatchouliAmberVanilla

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring80

Summer68

Fall72

Winter100

Day83

Night100

Spring44

Summer22

Fall100

Winter89

Day58

Night100

Category winnerDurraMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men54

Unisex37

Women9

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#30,121

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Category winnerFreeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Durra opens with a sharp burst of salty sea notes, cold aldehydes, and clary sage before diving into a dark heart of agarwood and smoky incense. The dry-down settles into heavy castoreum leather, amber, and bitter cumin on skin. It suits cold winter evenings, black-tie dinners, or outdoor gatherings where a dense, mar…

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, Durra or Free?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories. Durra is rated 3.75/5 from 79 votes; Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes. Choose Durra for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Durra or Free?

Durra lasts longest (Durra 87/100, Free 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Durra or Free?

Durra projects furthest (Durra 82/100, Free 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Durra and Free smell similar?

Some overlap: a 40% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Incense and Vanilla.

Is Durra or Free better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Durra and Free?

Durra has top notes of Sea Notes, Watery Notes, Aldehydes and Ozonic notes, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Earthy Notes, Birch Leaf and Cashmere Wood, a base of Castoreum, Civetta, Musk and Immortelle. Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla.