If you read my review of Atelier Cologne Oud Saphir ,you will know that I have a bit of a problem with the huge over-use of aoud in recent years. I'm a total Oud-a-phobe and in Halfeti it has been used in a familiar way: next to leather with a sprinkling of spice and some rose for good measure. The element that I enjoy most about the fragrance is the dry, herbal quality throughout, which reminds me of old apothecary chests filled with lavender sachets. There is nothing truly unique about the way in which Halfeti has been composed, yet there is no disputing its quality and rich texture. Penhaligon's scents are always beautifully composed, and Halfeti isno exception, although it is a bit predictableoud/rose/ wood perfume. With that being said, it is sure to have great appeal tothose who love and never tire ofthis genre.

I actually found the online fragrance profiling more thorough and accurate than in store. As in store the lady only asked what smells I usually like and actually misheard me and was giving me all the scents I said I didn’t like! Whereas their online fragrance profiling takes you through a series of fun personality questions which takes about 3 minutes and leaves you with 3 suggestions. I love Halfeti from Penhaligon’s, but it can be a little heady and heavy for me because it is definitely the kind of fragrance that can say hello to a room full of people before you do! Penhaligon’s Halfeti Hair PerfumeI find Empressa to be more peachy and slightly less sweet and muskier with more warmth than Coco Mademoiselle. As well as more addictive (you know when you just want to keep sniffing a perfume) and sensual. Versus Coco Mademoiselle which I find more youthful.

Someone said it’s reminiscent of Coco Mademoiselle in their review which I hadn’t noticed until they said it. Now they’ve said it, I can see where they’re coming from. I’d said to the store I liked that Coco and Chanel No. 5 but didn’t want to wear Chanel any more as they’re not cruelty-free. I don't think I was alone in that thought though and, when the company was bought by Spanish outfit Puig in 2015, it underwent a marketing rebrand. The brief was, no doubt, to keep the things that people liked about the brand (high end perfumes and a sense of British tradition), but ditch the stuffiness. Top hats and tails were out and the 'Trade Routes' and 'Portraits' series were in, followed swiftly by a lot of money from consumers, it seems. I would wear this to events where you'd like to look your peers in the eyes and say, I'm one of you now. I belong at this table, now hand me that cigar and pour me a bourbon. HALFETI

Babylon eau de parfum is another unisex fragrance from Penhaligon’s Trade Routes collection. I had a feeling this would be too masculine, spicy and woody for me and it was. It’s a warm, wintery scent that you may like it you like perfumes that are heavy on the spice and wood. Empressa is supposed to smell of bergamot (head note), peach (heart note) and patchouli (base). Along with vanilla and blood orange to be bright, warm, lustrous, and unforgettable! I told them I don’t like vanilla and like florals so I’m not sure how we ended up with this one but here we go:

I also love the bottle the Duchess Rose Portraits Collection perfume comes in so it’s definitely on my Penhaligon favorites list. I was honestly blown away by the incredible performance of this fragrance. Halfeti Leather latches onto my skin and matures over the hours it is worn. As mentioned earlier, to me the opening is all about the dried fruit accord and freshness. The longer this scent lasts on skin, the incense, oud and leather all blend into a warm and magnificent scent. I wouldn’t necessarily choose this as a date night scent or work scent, as it may come across as a little animalic or offensive to others. This fragrance can be polarising so it is important to consider the context with which you choose to wear it. Longevity and Projection After this point, all three perfumes settle in for the long haul and are supported by their strongest base notes. In Halfeti's case this is a combination of the oud, cedar and leather. I haven't mentioned the oud note up until this point, and my reason for this is fairly simple - I just don't think it's hugely prominent in comparison to other oud fragrances I've smelt. It's almost a supporting note to the other two, and seems to act more as a continuation of the green accord. It's certainly not medicinal or dirty. As time passes it seems to get sweetened up by the vanilla.Halfeti Leather, similarly, continues from where it left off with the plum note softening, and the nutmeg starting to shine through, bringing it more into line with its parent. Again, the other notes here are subtle; it's more about how they blend with the leather. I’ve been trying Penhaligon perfumes over the last month so here’s my honest thoughts and comprehensive Penhaligon’s review including a little of this luxury cruelty-free perfume brands history and which fragrances the Royals wear. Thanks to Penhaligon’s have a bottle of 100 ml bottle Halfeti for a registered CaFleureBon reader in the USA, EU or Canada. To be eligible, please leave a comment with your feeling on oud and rose scents, why you would like to win and where you live and if you have a favorite Penhaligon’s Perfume. Draw closes 6/12/205

Halfeti Leather started as a warm and predominantly plum scent that’s suited more for the Winter. He actually liked it more after it had time to warm up on his skin and the leather smell developed more which you don’t get when you first spray it. I choose the pink Spanish leather sleeve from the 8 leather colors available for this style of bottle. The next step is to have the leather sleeve embossed with up to 3 characters in either silver or gold. Halfeti is one of Penhaligon’s most popular and famous scents so what does it actually smell like? I normally prefer more feminine perfumes but am actually really loving this scent. It’s quite heavy on amber and musky incense notes but I find it well balanced between the florals and warmth and quite a feminine, sensual scent. Halfeti Cedar is unconcerned with trying to keep up with the original, however! As the saffron fades, the rum note begins to combine with the cedar, dark fruits and immortelle (I won't even bother trying to work out what the 'mineral notes' are adding) and...holy hell. What we have here is that rarest of perfume scents, the Christmas pudding. If you love booze and dried fruits, this is a perfume you need to try, because it's really nailing the accord for me. It's the booziest darn thing I've smelt. Mr. Provenzano has also worked on each of the flankers, with Halfeti Leather being an early 2020 release and Halfeti Cedar being a late 2020 release. As far as I'm aware, Penhaligon's haven't done flankers before (unless you count the EDP release of the EDT Endymion) which is perhaps further evidence of changing times for the companyOnce you’ve decided on your perfume(s) there’s the option online and in person to pay to personalize it with a leather sleeve which comes in 5-8 colors depending on the perfume and charm and/or have it engraved. Halfeti Leather opens with top notes of Cardamom, Plum, Green Notes, Lavender, Bergamot and Citruses. The mid is comprised of Cumin, Rose, Nutmeg, Violet, Cinnamon and Jasmine; while the base notes are Leather, Incense, Agarwood (Oud), Cedar and Patchouli. How Does Halfeti Leather Smell?