Fragrance comparison

HAL vs Forest

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

Updated 28 Oct 2026 96 ratings analysed

3 wins

HAL

Murad Mesud

4.002 votes

Rank #52,676 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

53%scent match

Some overlap

Forest

Rook Perfumes

3.9794 votes

Rank #12,050 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
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

HAL3/4

Forest1/4

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

HALMurad Mesud

ForestRook Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 17%Had 0%Want 83%

3.97/ 5 · 94 votes

Have 21%Had 12%Want 67%

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

36%Love

40%Like

10%Ok

12%Dislike

2%Hate

94 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity90

〰 Sillage88

♥ Love / hate75

⏱ Longevity58

〰 Sillage55

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityHAL

SillageHAL

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value32

Category winnerHALBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

green84%

powdery77%

cannabis69%

whiskey61%

woody100%

aromatic88%

green77%

fresh spicy65%

smoky53%

balsamic42%

Scent match53%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

PineCypressGrassBlack Pepper

Heart

IncensecannabisPatchouli

Base

CedarWhite Musk

InformationalShared notesGrass, Cypress, 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

Spring91

Summer77

Fall100

Winter59

Day100

Night61

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex33

Women0

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

Men37

Unisex63

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#52,676

PerfumerMurad Mesud

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#12,050

PerfumerNadeem Crowe

Launched—

Reviews15

Category winnerForestHigher 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 by Rook Perfumes opens with sharp pine needles, cracked black pepper, and damp green grass. As the initial snap cools, smoky incense and earthy patchouli emerge alongside dry cedar wood. It feels less like a traditional perfume and more like standing under wet conifers after a heavy autumn rainstorm.

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?

HAL takes 3 of 4 categories. HAL is rated 4.00/5 from 2 votes; Forest is rated 3.97/5 from 94 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 for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, HAL or Forest?

HAL lasts longest (HAL 90/100, Forest 58/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, HAL or Forest?

HAL projects furthest (HAL 88/100, Forest 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Do HAL and Forest smell similar?

Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and green accords. Common notes include Grass, Cypress, Cedar and cannabis.

Is HAL or Forest better for summer or winter?

HAL suits evening wear; Forest suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in HAL and Forest?

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