Signature Halfeti Black Rose Zaharoff 2024

I generally don't care for floral fragrances on myself but do like the smell of roses out of all flowers in the garden. I included Halfeti Black Rose in my Zaharoff sample order because I was figuring on getting the large bottle eventually just for collecting, if nothing else. But WOW, was really surprised - a masculine rose scent. Dark, not overly sweet, thick and creamy, almost like a heavy blue fragrance but as a dark red perfume. Very good performance and a beautiful bottle (full size, 4 oz). FB for me with this baby.

A definite formal occasion scent for me. Would work any season. It's not too dark and heavy for warm weather use; only need to control the number of sprays. Probably performs even better in warm weather. Really shines at night.

Update: I've tested a few rose fragrances since I wrote this review. I found another one I like that is of a different character. That's Amouage's Opus XII Rose Incense. Opus XII is darker and denser than Signature Halfeti. The rose note is also buried more in Opus XII. Signature Halfeti struck me as fresher than Opus XII and it has a prominent rose note. While both are very nice, I think Signature Halfeti will become my rose fume for summer while I'll save Opus XII for cooler and cold weather.

UPDATE 6/8/2026: Tested additional rose fragrances. Adding my rose ranking chart.

Opus XII Rose Incense Rose=2, Masculine=3, Scent=3
Lyric Man Rose=1, Masculine=2, Scent=1
Halfeti Black Rose Rose=3, Masculine=2, Scent=3
Egyptian Smoke Rose=3, Masculine=3, Scent=2
Vide Cor Meum Rose=2, Masculine=3, Scent=2
Long Kiss Goodnight Rose=3, Masculine=1, Scent=2

Going in search of the legendary rose for excellence: that of Halfeti.
Searching through the thorny bushes, with determination, to be captivated by this flower so unique and precious.
Black Rose is not a rose fragrance. It opens with peppery, slightly hesperidian scents, with strongly masculine overtones (so much so that it brings me back to vintage men's fragrances), and then slowly opens up to give way to a dark rose, bathed by these aromas so strong and virile, which are slightly fading but always present.
In short, for the man who never has to ask, sexy and intriguing.
‘Self-portrait’ painted by De Chirico.

Zaharoff’s latest release is Signature Halfeti Black Rose, a fittingly dark rosy fragrance that’s perhaps suited for those that do not typically love rose. It’s definitely reminiscent of both the original Signature Pour Homme and Signature Noir as far as the main DNA—a mix of dry, fresh, spicy, and sweet aspects fostering a modern signature scent. Take away some of the sweetness, add some rose, add some darkness, and different nuances, and that’s the connection I get to Signature Halfeti Black Rose. Compared to Signature Rose, SHBR is much less sweet and jammy and resinous, a darker, more nighttime-signature-scent type of use. Evolution-wise, it predictably starts off a little sharper, much like the original Signature, and dries down a little smoother. I think for many this is a logical choice to spice things up from the original Signature while not veering into the iris-led sharpness of Noir, a really great third option that provides a bit of rose but not too much to overwhelm.

The pricing is excellent as always, $195/150 for 120/60ml, with superb performance as well, sold via the house website.

8 out of 10

A beautiful, suit-worthy fragrance that I genuinely love. The rose has a slightly metallic edge that makes it stand out from your typical floral, and the combination with oud and labdanum gives it real depth and elegance. One practical warning though: the juice has a noticeable purple tint and I suspect there is some dye in there. Spray from a distance and keep it away from white dress shirts unless you want a surprise at laundry time.

First of all, a big thank you to Raindrops for the sample; otherwise, I would never have thought to test the first Zaharoff.

Now, the Signature Halfeti Black Rose by Zaharoff is quite a special fragrance, and although many seem to have it, I can't find any information about it, which is really a shame, as I think this could appeal to quite a few people. The scent tells me a story of a dark rose standing in the twilight of rose petals and wafts of incense.

Now, onto the fragrance:

- The scent opens with a beautiful, unexpected freshness from bergamot, with a good dash of invigorating green pepper. A lovely sunrise amidst a rather gloomy fog; the sun is still breaking through.

- Then comes a prominent yet somewhat lost rose, without producing that cloying exuberance. With a slightly sweet undertone from the tonka as well as a velvety amber veil, both subtly accompanying the rose - this, before one of the main players, namely the incense, enters into a dance with the rather dark-hued rose. The incense is almost like an eternal echo, resonating throughout the entire drydown, overshadowing the dark rose and laying like a dense fog over this beautiful rose still visible at sunrise. The rose becomes earthier through additional darker nuances (cypriol, vetiver, etc.), but against the incense, neither oud (barely perceptible) nor labdanum (hardly noticeable) stand a chance, even if they are subtly detectable if you know to look for them.

Yes, the fragrance plays very well with contrasts in its interplay with the rose; light and dark, sparkling and smoky-dim.

- The longevity is actually good and above average. The sillage has surprised me so far after an hour, despite this rather dark character being quite moderate, which in itself is not bad, but I definitely expected more.

In summary, a beautiful rose fragrance that is somewhat overshadowed by the incense. However, for those who enjoy incense, this offers a great rose-incense combination.