Fragrance comparison

Free vs Al Bashiq

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 248 ratings analysed

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

59%scent match

Closely related

5 wins

Al Bashiq

Nabeel

4.14177 votes

Rank #4,037 AmberWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Al Bashiq takes 5 of 7 categories.

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

Free2/7

Al Bashiq5/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

Al BashiqNabeel

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

4.14/ 5 · 177 votes

Have 88%Had 12%Want 0%

Category winnerAl BashiqRating 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

56%Love

23%Like

7%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

177 votes

Category winnerFreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate79

Category winners

LongevityAl Bashiq

SillageAl Bashiq

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value78

Category winnerAl BashiqBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

amber100%

woody92%

warm spicy84%

aromatic77%

balsamic69%

leather61%

Scent match59%Closely related · both amber, 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

LeatherIncenseCypressStyraxSaffronCardamomLavenderArtemisia

Heart

Agarwood (Oud)MyrrhBalsamic NotesEarthy NotesGuaiac WoodOlibanumLabdanumCedar

Base

VetiverAmberTobaccoTolu BalsamBenzoinPatchouliSweet NotesAmbergris

InformationalShared notesOlibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum. 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

Spring32

Summer14

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFreeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men82

Unisex13

Women5

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#4,037

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews19

Category winnerAl BashiqHigher 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 →

Al Bashiq by Nabeel delivers a heavy dose of leather, dark resins, and bitter almond. It is a bold, cold weather scent that cuts through freezing air, pairing best with heavy wool coats or leather jackets during winter nights.

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 Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq takes 5 of 7 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Al Bashiq is rated 4.14/5 from 177 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Al Bashiq for a amber and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Free or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq lasts longest (Al Bashiq 82/100, Free 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Al Bashiq?

Al Bashiq projects furthest (Al Bashiq 75/100, Free 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Al Bashiq smell similar?

Closely related: a 59% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and woody accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Al Bashiq better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Free and Al Bashiq?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Al Bashiq has top notes of Leather, Incense, Cypress and Styrax, heart notes of Agarwood (Oud), Myrrh, Balsamic Notes and Earthy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Amber, Tobacco and Tolu Balsam.