Fragrance comparison

Free vs Balafre Vert

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 449 ratings analysed

Free

O Boticário

3.42438 votes

Rank #17,812 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

60%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Balafre Vert

Lancôme

4.1811 votes

Rank #51,383 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Balafre Vert takes 3 of 5 categories.

Free
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Balafre Vert
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Free2/5

Balafre Vert3/5

Ratings & consensus: Balafre Vert
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Balafre Vert
Sillage & projection: Balafre Vert
Value for money: Free
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

FreeO Boticário

Balafre VertLancôme

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.42/ 5 · 438 votes

Have 49%Had 51%Want 0%

4.18/ 5 · 11 votes

Have 27%Had 8%Want 64%

Category winnerBalafre VertRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

26%Love

32%Like

7%Ok

27%Dislike

8%Hate

438 votes

55%Love

27%Like

9%Ok

0%Dislike

9%Hate

11 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity82

〰 Sillage82

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityBalafre Vert

SillageBalafre Vert

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value50

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody86%

citrus72%

fresh spicy58%

herbal44%

lavender30%

aromatic100%

woody88%

fresh spicy77%

earthy65%

green53%

mossy42%

Scent match60%Closely related · both aromatic, woody and fresh spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

LemonBergamotLavenderJuniperOrange

Heart

Pine TreeCarnationSageArtemisiaGeraniumJasmine

Base

OakmossCedarVetiverMusk

Top

LavenderGreen NotesCypressBergamotNeroli

Heart

Pine TreeGeraniumSageFernCedarCloves

Base

OakmossVetiverLeatherMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesBergamot, Lavender, Pine Tree and Sage. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter33

Day–

Night–

Spring100

Summer50

Fall100

Winter100

Day75

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex66

Women23

Men89

Unisex11

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#17,812

PerfumerGeorges Veyret

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#51,383

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerFreeHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Free by O Boticário is a classic 1981 aromatic fougère that pairs a sharp burst of lemon, bergamot, and juniper with crisp pine needles and earthy oakmoss. It smells like stepping into a sunlit pine forest right after a brisk morning rain. Clean, herbal, and unapologetically green, it brings an invigorating vintage fr…

Reviews →

Balafre Vert is an old-school green chypre with a sharp aromatic opening, piney herbs in the heart, and a dry mossy leather base. It leans brisk, woody, and earthy rather than soft or sweet. If you enjoy classic masculine scents with oakmoss, vetiver, and a slightly rugged forest feel, this is the part that stands out…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Free or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert takes 3 of 5 categories. Free is rated 3.42/5 from 438 votes; Balafre Vert is rated 4.18/5 from 11 votes. Choose Free for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Balafre Vert for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert lasts longest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Free 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Balafre Vert?

Balafre Vert projects furthest (Balafre Vert 82/100, Free 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Balafre Vert smell similar?

Closely related: a 60% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Bergamot, Lavender, Pine Tree and Sage.

Is Free or Balafre Vert better for summer or winter?

Balafre Vert suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Free and Balafre Vert?

Free has top notes of Lemon, Bergamot, Lavender and Juniper, heart notes of Pine Tree, Carnation, Sage and Artemisia, a base of Oakmoss, Cedar, Vetiver and Musk. Balafre Vert has top notes of Lavender, Green Notes, Cypress and Bergamot, heart notes of Pine Tree, Geranium, Sage and Fern, a base of Oakmoss, Vetiver, Leather and Musk.