Good morning Hood! Man oh man… have you tried this yet? If not, WHY?! That’s exactly what I asked myself after trying it out on a recommendation from @Lon Chaneyfield. If there’s one key takeaway from this post, it’s this. If you’re on the fence about trying a rose fragrance because you’re worried it might lean too feminine, you must try this one. It’s a spicy, resinous rose that leans masculine and makes a powerful statement. IMO, it’s truly a masterpiece. Signature Halfeti Black Rose was launched in 2024 by none other than the great George Zaharoff, alongside master perfumer Claude Dir. The opening offers a rich spiciness from black pepper and basil, balanced with a touch of brightness from bergamot. The first sprays come across very powerful, but with an immediately apparent quality. I don’t get any synthetic feel, just pure, high quality ingredients. And given the fact that I’m by no means an expert and can still tell, that says a lot. As the fragrance begins to dry down, the rose accord starts to shine in a subtle yet masculine way. It’s not a sweet or jammy rose, but a dark, powerful, refined rose. Honestly, I think it smells exactly like the bottle looks, dark, rich, and masterfully done. Vetiver, musk, amber, and cedarwood round it out beautifully, while the rose remains the star of the blend. Performance is top notch. The sillage is very noticeable, giving you reminders of where you’ve been when you walk back into a space. I did go nose-blind shortly after applying it, but this fragrance shifts and reintroduces itself throughout the day. Projection is about arm’s length, and longevity is well over 10 hours. I’m especially impressed with the longevity, considering I’m very active in a warehouse environment. Presentation is phenomenal! Excellent packaging, and if you get the larger bottle, it comes with amazing artwork on the metal placard. It’s truly a work of art, hand painted and one of my favorites in the collection. The atomizer is good, not Mancera good, but it definitely gets the job done (LOL, love me some Mancera).

I saw this on YouTube, and thought it might be fun to do here. The idea is to talk about your adventures with blind buys. Talk about 2 that were successful, and 2 that weren't so good I'll go first: Fail: 1. French Avenue Liquid Brun - I avoided buying it because I knew it was a hype trap. But then I tried PDM Altair in the store while waiting for my dinner date, and was really impressed by it. My date liked the scent, and so I put it in the back of my mind. A year later, I found Liquid Brun at the rack store and decided to pick it up. I don't think it smells anything like the PDM. Maybe it's a bad batch, or I just need to let it mature on the shelf for a bit, but every time I've given it a chance, it's proven to be too sickly sweet for my taste and has a weird chemical smell underneath it. I've compared it to other Liquid Brun samples, and it's the same, so I don't think I have a fake. But this was a big disappointment. 2. Lalique Pour Homme Lion - Got a TON of hype online as one of the best daily wear office fragrances. It was only like the 4th or 5th fragrance I ever bought, and one of my first blind buys. Completely forgettable. I just sprayed it a few minutes ago, and I can't tell you what it smells like anymore. I've tried to give it away twice, and each time, it got returned back to me, LOL Triumph 1. Mauboussin Star Pour Homme - bought as a blind buy after a recommendation from TPG on YouTube. The notes sounded good, but the price - $25 - was even better. It has become one of my all time favorites for date nights and colder evenings. I think it rivals Faragamo Signature Uomo and Mercedes Club Black for best masculine vanilla scent out there, and the price is an absolute steal. 2. Lattafa Vintage Radio - I had never heard of Initio, much less Paragon. Had no idea that I would like plum notes so freaking much. I bought it at the same time as Lalique, otherwise, i probably would have quit buying fragrances at that point. It's still one of my favorite fragrances and one of the best plum themed fragrances on the market.