Fragrance comparison

Free vs Opium (1977)

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 8,466 ratings analysed

Free

Mark Buxton

4.1871 votes

Rank #24,332 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

63%scent match

Closely related

4 wins

Opium (1977)

Yves Saint Laurent

3.978,395 votes

Rank #416 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories.

Free
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear.
Opium (1977)
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Free3/7

Opium (1977)4/7

Ratings & consensus: Free
Community sentiment: Free
Longevity: Opium (1977)
Sillage & projection: Opium (1977)
Value for money: Opium (1977)
Versatility: Free
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Opium (1977)

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeMark Buxton

Opium (1977)Yves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.18/ 5 · 71 votes

Have 26%Had 9%Want 64%

3.97/ 5 · 8,395 votes

Have 53%Had 47%Want 0%

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

44%Love

32%Like

1%Ok

22%Dislike

1%Hate

8,395 votes

Category winnerFreeMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage67

♥ Love / hate80

⏱ Longevity88

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityOpium (1977)

SillageOpium (1977)

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value52

¤ Price value53

Category winnerOpium (1977)Best value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

warm spicy83%

balsamic65%

woody48%

smoky30%

warm spicy100%

amber91%

balsamic83%

woody74%

aromatic65%

powdery56%

Scent match63%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

Top

ClovesPepperCorianderWest Indian BayPlumJasmineMandarin OrangeBergamot

Heart

CarnationCinnamonSandalwoodPatchouliRoseOrris RootPeachLily-of-the-Valley

Base

IncenseMyrrhTolu BalsamAmberOpoponaxBenzoinLabdanumVanilla

InformationalShared notesIncense, Bergamot, 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

Spring19

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFreeMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men42

Unisex47

Women11

Men3

Unisex36

Women61

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#24,332

PerfumerDavid Chieze

Launched—

Reviews4

Overall rank#416

PerfumerJean Amic, Jean-Louis Sieuzac, Raymond Chaillan

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerOpium (1977)Higher 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 →

Yves Saint Laurent Opium (1977) opens like a warm, crackling hearth on a freezing winter night. The first spray hits with a sharp burst of dried clove buds, fresh black pepper, and dark plum before mellowing into rich cinnamon, spicy red carnation, and creamy sandalwood. As it settles on warm skin, deep frankincense, …

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 Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) takes 4 of 7 categories. Free is rated 4.18/5 from 71 votes; Opium (1977) is rated 3.97/5 from 8,395 votes. Choose Free for a amber and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Opium (1977) for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Free or Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) lasts longest (Opium (1977) 88/100, Free 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Opium (1977)?

Opium (1977) projects furthest (Opium (1977) 82/100, Free 67/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Opium (1977) smell similar?

Closely related: a 63% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Incense, Bergamot, Benzoin and Labdanum.

Is Free or Opium (1977) better for summer or winter?

For summer, Free is the stronger pick. For winter, Opium (1977) is the stronger pick. Free suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Free and Opium (1977)?

Free has top notes of Olibanum, Incense and Bergamot, heart notes of Benzoin and Labdanum, a base of Patchouli, Amber and Vanilla. Opium (1977) has top notes of Cloves, Pepper, Coriander and West Indian Bay, heart notes of Carnation, Cinnamon, Sandalwood and Patchouli, a base of Incense, Myrrh, Tolu Balsam and Amber.