Reviews of Jack Black Signature Black Mark (2005)
by Jack Black

A subtle, more modern interpretation of the masculine woody aromatic. An astute selection of spices lend an interesting contrast to the oft-unruly cedar and somehow smoothens out the rough edges. While not particularly outstanding, I find BLACK MARK to be as comforting as the easy-going charms of a favorite uncle. A well-tailored option for the confident man.

Fragrance notes: Kashmir saffron, coriander, cedar, leather
I like woody scents and this is indeed woody. The aromatic cedarwood is complimented by the spice notes. I’m a bit surprised at how woody this is – no complaints, but this definitely registers on the Richter scale of wood-dominated scents. Cedar can sometimes ‘go south’ and get obnoxious… it stays civilized here. The spices give it a bit of an old-school barbershop vibe. There is a faint hint of leather. I’m hyper-sensitive to vanilla, and I don’t get ANY of that here. I don’t find the saffron problematic, indeed on me it is just part of the spice mix. (For those interested in more prominent saffron scents, I recommend Safranier and Palisander. Zafferano… each person needs to try it.) Back to JBB, it is a cool-weather scent – not heavy or sweet, but I find it to be substantial.

Saffron, Cedar, earthy and woody. Very comforting, for some reason it places my mind in some place rustic and refined with a sort of quality about it that makes me just relax. This fragrance is mild, stays close to the skin, and seems to last awhile. I really like it.

First off, neither Black Mark nor Gucci PH have been able to offer me in the way of cedar-based frags what Lalique Equus edt has been able to. Still, I like Black Mark better than PH -- it's creamier and softer and lacks that hard, cedar-y edge that PH possesses.

Like foetidus, I'm not a huge fan of saffron (hence my indifference toward L'Homme Sage as well). Still, I can't help but like Black Mark and appreciate its quality ingredients and clever blending. All in all, a must-try frag for cedar fans who've not yet sampled it.

To me this is what Gucci PH should have been. If you are looking for something with the general character of Gucci PH but without the pencil shavings smell, I think you will really like this one. Longevity is OK, not outstanding but acceptable, similar to Gucci PH (on me anyway). Dominated by Cedar and Leather with Saffron and Coriander to spice things up. A very masculine fragrance

This is a very warm and comforting scent. Old Fashioned almost. I like it a lot.

I guess I don’t care for saffron in a fragrance—this is about the sixth or seventh fragrance with a strong saffron accord that I’ve tried, and again I am not impressed. I find that there’s a kind of waxiness or creaminess to saffron that, while not disagreeable, seems to cause the fragrance to lose some of its clarity IMO. Saffron by itself, or saffron with rose is not too bad—I don’t really have a problem with it, but this saffron in combination with cedar is quite disagreeable to my nose. I like the other notes in the fragrance and the dry down is excellent, although I don’t smell any leather in it, until I try to wash it off after about six hours. When the rest of the fragrance is washed off, the leather, sour and dry, hangs on. This is an okay scent, but I don’t find anything about it that impresses me.

Cedar and light spices, the cedar is similar to that of Gucci PH. There's also a vanilla creaminess and sweetness here that Gucci PH does not have. I don't get much leather. Softer, rounder, less "masculine" than Gucci PH, with a sweeter, vanilla-like base. Not too sweet, especially considering the sweetness of most oriental scents. Semi-formal. Lasting power is mediocre. Stays close to the skin. It's okay but I'll keep my Gucci PH and get my sweet fix from Relax.

Lasts most of the day, smells very clean.

Holy heck!!! I'm really glad I got this on a "blind buy recommendation" from a friend. Absolutely fantastic, like a smooth Gucci PH. Leather, Cedar, Coriander... Wow!!!