FreeOriental Amber Eau de Parfum

Free by Mark Buxton is an oriental amber vanilla eau de parfum, unisex, created by David Chieze. It is the last word of a sentence.

The man behind Comme des Garçons

Mark Buxton is one of the great contemporary perfumers, and his house bears his name. He created the very first Comme des Garçons fragrance, then 2, 3, Man, White and Cologne, and has created for Givenchy, Versace, Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, Burberry and Le Labo. English, he moved to Germany at eight, trained in Hamburg, settled in Paris, and founded his house in 2008. One anecdote sums him up: at 21 years old, he appeared on the German game show Wetten, dass…? betting that he could identify any perfume by smell — he recognized all five presented to him. His formula: “a perfume should be like a good jazz song — vibrant and harmonious.” The Freedom Collection was composed with David Chieze, his right-hand man; the house claims three signature materials common to its four launch fragrances — vetiver, ambergris and davana.

An opening of olibanum resin, incense and bergamot

Olibanum resin and incense open immediately on a resinous and peppery smoke — two resins in the leading position, which is unusual. Bergamot brings the only fresh sparkle to the composition.

A heart of benzoin and rockrose

Benzoin establishes the balsamic vanilla, while rockrose — from which labdanum is extracted, the term used by the house — brings its leathery and amber facet. Two more resins, and nothing else.

A base of amber, patchouli and vanilla

Amber takes over with vanilla, while patchouli brings the earth and prevents the whole from becoming too sweet.

The house's approach

Four resins out of eight materials: half the formula belongs to the same register. Olibanum, incense, benzoin, rockrose — these are gums and balms harvested by incision on the bark, all dense and tenacious. It is a rare choice, because resins are heavy: stacking them requires knowing how to let them breathe. The house itself summarizes the perfume as “a fragrance that deals with incense and all its facets,” and David Chieze, who created it, built the whole around this single material. The title, meanwhile, is the last word of a sentence: I Want + To Break + Free = “I Want To Break Free,” the Queen song. The three are worn and collected together.

For whom, for what occasions?

For those who love amber incense and are looking for a deep rather than comfortable perfume. From autumn to winter, preferably in the evening. Free by Mark Buxton is the last of the three.