Fragrance comparison

HAL vs Forest 2020 Edition

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 144 ratings analysed

3 wins

HAL

Murad Mesud

4.002 votes

Rank #52,676 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Forest 2020 Edition

Rook Perfumes

4.08142 votes

Rank #8,426 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

HAL takes 3 of 4 categories.

HAL
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear.
Forest 2020 Edition
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

HAL3/4

Forest 2020 Edition1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: HAL
Sillage & projection: HAL
Value for money: HAL
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Forest 2020 Edition

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

HALMurad Mesud

Forest 2020 EditionRook Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

4.08/ 5 · 142 votes

Have 30%Had 9%Want 61%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

50%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

40%Love

39%Like

13%Ok

5%Dislike

3%Hate

142 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity62

〰 Sillage54

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityHAL

SillageHAL

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value46

Category winnerHALBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

green84%

powdery77%

cannabis69%

whiskey61%

woody100%

aromatic83%

fresh spicy65%

green48%

conifer30%

Scent match51%Some overlap · both woody, aromatic and green

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

GrassBergamotCypress

Heart3-5 hrs

CedarWhiskeycannabis

Base8-12 hrs

MuskVanilla

Top

CypressPine Tree

Heart

Black PeppercannabisIncense

Base

CedarPatchouliWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesCypress, Cedar and cannabis. Durations are only published for HAL, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter83

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

Date 36%Party 28%Casual 22%Work 14%

Men50

Unisex47

Women3

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,676

PerfumerMurad Mesud

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#8,426

PerfumerNadeem Crowe

Launched—

Reviews24

Category winnerForest 2020 EditionHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

HAL by Murad Mesud cuts through the noise with an assertive blast of cut grass, zesty bergamot, and sharp cypress needles. It sets an outdoor, resinous tone before revealing an intoxicating heart of dry cedarwood, peat whiskey, and smoky herbal cannabis. This is not a timid office scent. Skin chemistry matters here. T…

Reviews →

Forest 2020 Edition by Rook Perfumes opens with a blast of crushed pine tree needles and sharp cypress bark. Created by perfumer Nadeem Crowe, this unisex composition moves past its intense evergreen start into a smoky heart of incense, dry black pepper, and green cannabis. The base settles into earthy patchouli, clea…

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, HAL or Forest 2020 Edition?

HAL takes 3 of 4 categories. HAL is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes; Forest 2020 Edition is rated 4.08/5 from 142 votes. Choose HAL for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose Forest 2020 Edition for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, HAL or Forest 2020 Edition?

HAL lasts longest (HAL 90/100, Forest 2020 Edition 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, HAL or Forest 2020 Edition?

HAL projects furthest (HAL 88/100, Forest 2020 Edition 54/100), based on community performance votes.

Do HAL and Forest 2020 Edition smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and green accords. Common notes include Cypress, Cedar and cannabis.

Is HAL or Forest 2020 Edition better for summer or winter?

HAL suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in HAL and Forest 2020 Edition?

HAL has top notes of Grass, Bergamot and Cypress, heart notes of Cedar, Whiskey and cannabis, a base of Musk and Vanilla. Forest 2020 Edition has top notes of Cypress and Pine Tree, heart notes of Black Pepper, cannabis and Incense, a base of Cedar, Patchouli and White Musk.