Fragrance comparison

Free vs Majalis

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 339 ratings analysed

4 wins

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Majalis

The Spirit of Dubai

4.20268 votes

Rank #25,438 SweetWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Free4/7

Majalis3/7

Ratings & consensus: Majalis
Community sentiment: Free
Longevity: Majalis
Sillage & projection: Majalis
Value for money: Free
Versatility: Free
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

MajalisThe Spirit of Dubai

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

4.20/ 5 · 268 votes

Have 83%Had 17%Want 0%

Category winnerMajalisRating 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

8%Ok

10%Dislike

3%Hate

268 votes

Category winnerFreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity84

〰 Sillage76

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityMajalis

SillageMajalis

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value24

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

sweet100%

warm spicy92%

fruity84%

amber77%

woody69%

balsamic61%

Scent match51%Some overlap · 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

Top

IncenseStrawberryRaspberryPeachOlibanumPink PepperRoseCardamom

Heart

DatesSaffronGuaiac WoodPatchouliClovesVetiverFlowersPowdery Notes

Base

TobaccoAgarwood (Oud)Woodsy NotesMyrhhHoneyBenzoinLabdanumLeather

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

Spring69

Summer35

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFreeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men36

Unisex54

Women10

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#25,438

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 →

Majalis by The Spirit of Dubai pairs roasted Arabic coffee, chewy dates, and smoky incense against a thick pop of strawberry and rose. Built for freezing winter evenings and formal cold-weather gatherings, this heavy Oriental composition wraps warm cardamom, honey, and dark agarwood around rich tobacco leaves.

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 Majalis?

Free takes 4 of 7 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Majalis is rated 4.20/5 from 268 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on community sentiment, value for money and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Majalis for a sweet and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Free or Majalis?

Majalis lasts longest (Majalis 84/100, Free 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Majalis?

Majalis projects furthest (Majalis 76/100, Free 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Majalis smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Olibanum, Incense, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Majalis better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Free and Majalis?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Majalis has top notes of Incense, Strawberry, Raspberry and Peach, heart notes of Dates, Saffron, Guaiac Wood and Patchouli, a base of Tobacco, Agarwood (Oud), Woodsy Notes and Myrhh.