Fragrance comparison

Scent of a Dream vs Free Hugs

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

Updated 29 Oct 2026 787 ratings analysed

Scent of a Dream

Charlotte Tilbury

3.48398 votes

Rank #36,945 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

12%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Free Hugs

O Boticário

4.13389 votes

Rank #16,375 LavenderAldehydic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Free Hugs takes 4 of 7 categories.

Scent of a Dream
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear.
Free Hugs
Choose it for a lavender and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Scent of a Dream3/7

Free Hugs4/7

Ratings & consensus: Free Hugs
Community sentiment: Free Hugs
Longevity: Scent of a Dream
Sillage & projection: Scent of a Dream
Value for money: Free Hugs
Versatility: Scent of a Dream
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Free Hugs

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Scent of a DreamCharlotte Tilbury

Free HugsO Boticário

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.48/ 5 · 398 votes

Have 71%Had 29%Want 0%

4.13/ 5 · 389 votes

Have 75%Had 25%Want 0%

Category winnerFree HugsRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

28%Love

31%Like

7%Ok

31%Dislike

4%Hate

398 votes

48%Love

29%Like

13%Ok

8%Dislike

2%Hate

389 votes

Category winnerFree HugsMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate62

⏱ Longevity54

〰 Sillage41

♥ Love / hate78

Category winners

LongevityScent of a Dream

SillageScent of a Dream

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value62

Category winnerFree HugsBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

woody100%

amber92%

warm spicy84%

citrus77%

musky69%

patchouli61%

lavender100%

aldehydic92%

powdery84%

fresh77%

violet69%

floral61%

Scent match12%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Black PepperBergamotSaffronPeachLemonMandarin Orange

Heart2-4 hrs

PatchouliTuberoseIncenseVioletJasmine

Base6-8+ hrs

AmbroxanIso E SuperHedioneWoody Notes

Top

LavenderLemonPeachLitchiMandarin Orange

Heart

AldehydesVioletSkinCameliaJasmineYlang-YlangTuberose

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliBenzoin

InformationalShared notesPeach, Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Scent of a Dream, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring91

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day41

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter45

Day–

Night–

Category winnerScent of a DreamMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex13

Women87

Date 39%Party 30%Casual 17%Work 13%

Men1

Unisex55

Women44

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#36,945

PerfumerFrançois Robert

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#16,375

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerFree HugsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Charlotte Tilbury Scent of a Dream hits the skin with an electric punch of black pepper, juicy mandarin, and fuzzy peach flesh. The initial spray feels sharp and solvent-heavy for two minutes before settling down. Soon, thick tuberose and earthy patchouli take center stage, wrapped in a faint ribbon of dry incense smo…

Reviews →

Free Hugs by O Boticário smells like slipping into freshly washed cotton sheets right after a warm, sudsy bath. The opening gives you a bright splash of crisp lavender, sweet peach, and tart lemon that feels immediately refreshing. As it settles, soapy aldehydes and delicate violet mingle with a cozy skin accord, crea…

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, Scent of a Dream or Free Hugs?

Free Hugs takes 4 of 7 categories. Scent of a Dream is rated 3.48/5 from 398 votes; Free Hugs is rated 4.13/5 from 389 votes. Choose Scent of a Dream for a woody and amber character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Free Hugs for a lavender and aldehydic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Scent of a Dream or Free Hugs?

Scent of a Dream lasts longest (Scent of a Dream 66/100, Free Hugs 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Scent of a Dream or Free Hugs?

Scent of a Dream projects furthest (Scent of a Dream 63/100, Free Hugs 41/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Scent of a Dream and Free Hugs smell similar?

Clearly different: a 12% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Peach, Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Patchouli.

Is Scent of a Dream or Free Hugs better for summer or winter?

For summer, Scent of a Dream is the stronger pick. For winter, Scent of a Dream is the stronger pick. Scent of a Dream suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Scent of a Dream and Free Hugs?

Scent of a Dream has top notes of Black Pepper, Bergamot, Saffron and Peach, heart notes of Patchouli, Tuberose, Incense and Violet, a base of Ambroxan, Iso E Super, Hedione and Woody Notes. Free Hugs has top notes of Lavender, Lemon, Peach and Litchi, heart notes of Aldehydes, Violet, Skin and Camelia, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli and Benzoin.