Fragrance comparison

Free vs Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 85 ratings analysed

4 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

22%scent match

Clearly different

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute

Nabeel

3.9314 votes

Rank #48,524 SweetCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 4 of 5 categories.

Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear.
Acqua di Nabeel Absolute
Choose it for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Free4/5

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute1/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

Acqua di Nabeel AbsoluteNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

3.93/ 5 · 14 votes

Have 62%Had 4%Want 35%

Category winnerFreeRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

41%Love

39%Like

17%Ok

3%Dislike

0%Hate

71 votes

43%Love

21%Like

21%Ok

14%Dislike

0%Hate

14 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate73

Category winners

LongevityFree

SillageFree

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value81

Category winnerAcqua di Nabeel AbsoluteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

sweet100%

citrus92%

white floral84%

warm spicy77%

aromatic69%

woody61%

Scent match22%Clearly different · both warm spicy and woody

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top30 to 45 minutes

OlibanumIncenseBergamot

Heart2 to 3 hours

BenzoinLabdanum

Base4 to 6 hours

PatchouliAmberVanilla

Top

Star AniseIncenseWhite FlowersSweet OrangeGrapefruitSea NotesLemonRose

Heart

Sweet NotesNeroliCoconutJasmineOudLily of the ValleySandalwoodHeliotrope

Base

MuskGuaiac WoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverCedarAmberSpun Sugar

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring44

Summer22

Fall100

Winter89

Day58

Night100

Spring70

Summer60

Fall100

Winter70

Day88

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men29

Unisex64

Women7

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#48,524

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFreeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Acqua di Nabeel Absolute by Nabeel is a dense oriental spicy fragrance that pairs a sharp citrus opening with warm spices. Star anise, grapefruit, and a dry incense lead into a deep heart of leather and sweet notes before settling on a heavy base of oud and vanilla. It is best suited for cold autumn evenings.

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, Free or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Free takes 4 of 5 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute is rated 3.93/5 from 14 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Acqua di Nabeel Absolute for a sweet and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Free lasts longest (Free 70/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Free projects furthest (Free 67/100, Acqua di Nabeel Absolute 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute smell similar?

Clearly different: a 22% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Incense, Benzoin and Amber.

Is Free or Acqua di Nabeel Absolute better for summer or winter?

Free suits evening wear; Acqua di Nabeel Absolute suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Free and Acqua di Nabeel Absolute?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Acqua di Nabeel Absolute has top notes of Star Anise, Incense, White Flowers and Sweet Orange, heart notes of Sweet Notes, Neroli, Coconut and Jasmine, a base of Musk, Guaiac Wood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.