Fragrance comparison

Free vs Amber Incense

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 107 ratings analysed

5 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

Amber Incense

Sonoma Scent Studio

4.0036 votes

Rank #20,797 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 5 of 7 categories.

Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.
Amber Incense
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Free5/7

Amber Incense2/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

Amber IncenseSonoma Scent Studio

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

4.00/ 5 · 36 votes

Have 15%Had 7%Want 78%

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

39%Love

42%Like

6%Ok

8%Dislike

6%Hate

36 votes

Category winnerFreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity60

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate75

Category winners

LongevityFree

SillageFree

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value88

Category winnerAmber IncenseBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

amber100%

warm spicy90%

balsamic80%

vanilla70%

aromatic60%

woody50%

Scent match65%Closely related · both amber, warm spicy and balsamic

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

Notes

IncenseMyrrhelemiVanillaCinnamonBenzoinOlibanumLabdanumRoseOakmossClovesHeliotrope

No top / heart / base split published

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

Spring8

Summer8

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night91

Category winnerFreeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men25

Unisex50

Women25

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#20,797

PerfumerLaurie Erickson

Launched—

Reviews13

Category winnerAmber IncenseHigher 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 →

Amber Incense by Sonoma Scent Studio opens with a noticeable rush of cinnamon, benzoin, and rich labdanum. Perfumer Laurie Erickson crafts a dense balsamic blend where warm spicy resins collide with dry olibanum and subtle heliotrope. As the composition settles on skin, sweet myrrh and vanilla soften the sharp edges o…

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 Amber Incense?

Free takes 5 of 7 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Amber Incense is rated 4.00/5 from 36 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Amber Incense for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Amber Incense?

Free lasts longest (Free 70/100, Amber Incense 60/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Amber Incense?

Free projects furthest (Free 67/100, Amber Incense 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Amber Incense smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Amber Incense better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Free and Amber Incense?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Amber Incense features Incense, Myrrh, elemi, Vanilla and Cinnamon.