Fragrance comparison

Free vs Le Professionnel

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 482 ratings analysed

Free

O Boticário

3.42438 votes

Rank #16,336 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

65%scent match

Closely related

6 wins

Le Professionnel

G. Nejman

4.0744 votes

Rank #16,155 AromaticFresh Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Le Professionnel takes 6 of 7 categories.

Free
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring.
Le Professionnel
Choose it for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Free1/7

Le Professionnel6/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

FreeO Boticário

Le ProfessionnelG. Nejman

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.42/ 5 · 438 votes

Have 49%Had 51%Want 0%

4.07/ 5 · 44 votes

Have 46%Had 18%Want 36%

Category winnerLe ProfessionnelRating 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

41%Love

41%Like

2%Ok

16%Dislike

0%Hate

44 votes

Category winnerLe ProfessionnelMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate60

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage74

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityLe Professionnel

SillageLe Professionnel

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value68

¤ Price value55

Category winnerFreeBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody86%

citrus72%

fresh spicy58%

herbal44%

lavender30%

aromatic100%

fresh spicy86%

woody72%

herbal58%

green44%

citrus30%

Scent match65%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

Top15-30 mins

JuniperGinGalbanumMyrtleLemonBergamot

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumOrangeSpicy Notes

Base6-8+ hrs

VetiverPatchouliLeather

InformationalShared notesLemon, Bergamot, Juniper and Orange. Durations are only published for Le Professionnel, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter33

Day–

Night–

Spring79

Summer16

Fall100

Winter63

Day58

Night100

Category winnerLe ProfessionnelMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men11

Unisex66

Women23

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Work 43%Date 27%Casual 20%Party 10%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,336

PerfumerGeorges Veyret

Launched—

Reviews12

Overall rank#16,155

PerfumerJean-Claude Astier

Launched—

Reviews8

Category winnerLe ProfessionnelHigher 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 →

Le Professionnel by G. Nejman hits the skin with a bracing, chilled gin and juniper splash. It wakes you up immediately. Bitter galbanum and crushed myrtle needles add a sharp, dark green snap behind crisp bergamot and lemon zest. Within twenty minutes, the initial bite softens into an earthy, masculine heart. Rose ge…

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 Le Professionnel?

Le Professionnel takes 6 of 7 categories. Free is rated 3.42/5 from 438 votes; Le Professionnel is rated 4.07/5 from 44 votes. Choose Free for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on value for money. Best in spring. Choose Le Professionnel for a aromatic and fresh spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Free or Le Professionnel?

Le Professionnel lasts longest (Le Professionnel 80/100, Free 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Free or Le Professionnel?

Le Professionnel projects furthest (Le Professionnel 74/100, Free 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Free and Le Professionnel smell similar?

Closely related: a 65% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, woody and fresh spicy accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Juniper and Orange.

Is Free or Le Professionnel better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Free and Le Professionnel?

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. Le Professionnel has top notes of Juniper, Gin, Galbanum and Myrtle, heart notes of Geranium, Orange and Spicy Notes, a base of Vetiver, Patchouli and Leather.