Fragrance comparison

Black Musk vs Northern Flicker

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

Updated 22 Oct 2026 79 ratings analysed

3 wins

Black Musk

Pino Silvestre

3.8324 votes

Rank #32,486 MuskyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

51%scent match

Some overlap

Northern Flicker

January Scent Project

4.0755 votes

Rank #34,118 GreenAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Black Musk takes 3 of 5 categories.

Black Musk
Choose it for a musky and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Northern Flicker
Choose it for a green and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Black Musk3/5

Northern Flicker2/5

Ratings & consensus: Northern Flicker
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Northern Flicker
Sillage & projection: Black Musk
Value for money: Black Musk
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Black Musk

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Black MuskPino Silvestre

Northern FlickerJanuary Scent Project

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.83/ 5 · 24 votes

Have 31%Had 9%Want 61%

4.07/ 5 · 55 votes

Have 30%Had 5%Want 64%

Category winnerNorthern FlickerRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

29%Like

13%Ok

21%Dislike

0%Hate

24 votes · too few to score

53%Love

24%Like

9%Ok

7%Dislike

7%Hate

55 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate71

⏱ Longevity76

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityNorthern Flicker

SillageBlack Musk

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value73

¤ Price value58

Category winnerBlack MuskBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

aromatic70%

conifer60%

fresh50%

green100%

aromatic91%

woody83%

fresh spicy74%

fresh65%

musky56%

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

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

Black MuskBalsam Fir

No top / heart / base split published

Top

SpearmintPeppermintHedioneBergamot

Heart

Poplar (Populus) budsCanadian PineBlack currant leafBalsam FirWhite Ginger LilyTobaccoClove

Base

Pine TreeWhite MuskBlack MuskHibaLabdanumJava vetiver oilThailand OudAmber Oil

InformationalShared notesBlack Musk and Balsam Fir. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring73

Summer9

Fall100

Winter64

Day100

Night38

Spring79

Summer38

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night65

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex0

Women8

Men22

Unisex74

Women4

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#32,486

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#34,118

PerfumerJohn Biebel

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerBlack MuskHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Pino Silvestre Black Musk brings a clean, soapy twist to the traditional dark musk profile. Built around crisp balsam fir and a warm woody base, this cologne wears best on cool autumn mornings when you want a clean yet rugged scent. It serves as an easy daily reach for casual office wear.

Reviews →

January Scent Project Northern Flicker opens with an intense blast of fresh peppermint and green spearmint, setting a cold and crisp tone that immediately commands attention. As the scent warms on your skin, the initial minty chill transitions into a dense forest landscape of Canadian pine, balsam fir, and poplar buds…

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, Black Musk or Northern Flicker?

Black Musk takes 3 of 5 categories. Black Musk is rated 3.83/5 from 24 votes; Northern Flicker is rated 4.07/5 from 55 votes. Choose Black Musk for a musky and woody character. Wins on sillage & projection, value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Northern Flicker for a green and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus and longevity. Best in fall, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Black Musk or Northern Flicker?

Northern Flicker lasts longest (Northern Flicker 76/100, Black Musk 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Black Musk or Northern Flicker?

Projection is very close: Black Musk 59/100, Northern Flicker 57/100 for sillage.

Do Black Musk and Northern Flicker smell similar?

Some overlap: a 51% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and musky accords. Common notes include Black Musk and Balsam Fir.

Is Black Musk or Northern Flicker better for summer or winter?

Black Musk suits daytime wear; Northern Flicker suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Black Musk and Northern Flicker?

Black Musk features Black Musk and Balsam Fir. Northern Flicker has top notes of Spearmint, Peppermint, Hedione and Bergamot, heart notes of Poplar (Populus) buds, Canadian Pine, Black currant leaf and Balsam Fir, a base of Pine Tree, White Musk, Black Musk and Hiba.