Fragrance comparison

Jovan Man vs MS Black

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

Updated 8 Nov 2026 12 ratings analysed

3 wins

Jovan Man

Jovan

4.754 votes

Rank #42,291 WoodyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

66%scent match

Closely related

MS Black

Parfums Marco Serussi

4.508 votes

Rank #50,645 WoodyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jovan Man takes 3 of 4 categories.

Jovan Man
Choose it for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear.
MS Black
Choose it for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Jovan Man3/4

MS Black1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Jovan Man
Sillage & projection: Jovan Man
Value for money: MS Black
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jovan Man

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Jovan ManJovan

MS BlackParfums Marco Serussi

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 23%Had 14%Want 63%

4.50/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 29%Had 0%Want 71%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

75%Love

25%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

63%Love

25%Like

13%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity97

〰 Sillage71

♥ Love / hate94

⏱ Longevity63

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityJovan Man

SillageJovan Man

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value0

¤ Price value63

Category winnerMS BlackBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

woody100%

aromatic92%

warm spicy84%

fresh spicy77%

musky69%

citrus61%

woody100%

citrus92%

aromatic84%

warm spicy77%

amber69%

fresh spicy61%

Scent match66%Closely related · both woody, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AniseBasilBergamotLavenderLemonPetitgrain

Heart

RosePatchouliSandalwoodVetiverCarnationCinnamonGeraniumCedar

Base

MuskCastoreumOakmossLabdanumLeatherTonka BeanVanilla

Top15 to 30 minutes

BergamotGrapefruitAnise

Heart2 to 3 hours

Green AppleCinnamonPink PepperClove LeafGeraniumOrange Blossom

Base3 to 5 hours

CedarSandalwoodVetiverAmbergrisPatchouliTobacco LeafLabdanumMusk

InformationalShared notesAnise, Bergamot, Patchouli and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for MS Black, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day–

Night100

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#42,291

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#50,645

PerfumerDominique Preyssas

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerJovan ManHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Released in 1977, Jovan Man is an aromatic fougere that captures the rugged, spicy character of vintage drugstore classics. It centers around a dry anise opening that transitions into a heart of dirty rose and warm cedar, offering a reliable, retro vibe for casual daytime wear in cool autumn weather.

Reviews →

MS Black by Parfums Marco Serussi is an aromatic woody fragrance built around brisk citrus, warm spices, and a grounded earthy base. The scent opens with a lively splash of tart grapefruit and bergamot, shaded by a light touch of herbal anise. As the opening settles, crisp green apple combines with warm cinnamon, clov…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

Un Matin Dans La RoseraieJeanne en ProvenceWINNER vs

WindInubiRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Citrus BrasilisGranadoWINNER vs

Humor à VistaNaturaRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Michalsky Berlin Fame For MenMichael MichalskyWINNER vs

Sport RacingJacques BattiniRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Versailles ShotgunVersaillesRUNNER-UP vs

Black AvaritiaMemoize LondonWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Jovan Man or MS Black?

Jovan Man takes 3 of 4 categories. Jovan Man is rated 4.75/5 from 4 votes; MS Black is rated 4.50/5 from 8 votes. Choose Jovan Man for a woody and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, evening wear. Choose MS Black for a woody and citrus character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Jovan Man or MS Black?

Jovan Man lasts longest (Jovan Man 97/100, MS Black 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Jovan Man or MS Black?

Jovan Man projects furthest (Jovan Man 71/100, MS Black 57/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Jovan Man and MS Black smell similar?

Closely related: a 66% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Anise, Bergamot, Patchouli and Sandalwood.

Is Jovan Man or MS Black better for summer or winter?

Jovan Man suits evening wear; MS Black suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Jovan Man and MS Black?

Jovan Man has top notes of Anise, Basil, Bergamot and Lavender, heart notes of Rose, Patchouli, Sandalwood and Vetiver, a base of Musk, Castoreum, Oakmoss and Labdanum. MS Black has top notes of Bergamot, Grapefruit and Anise, heart notes of Green Apple, Cinnamon, Pink Pepper and Clove Leaf, a base of Cedar, Sandalwood, Vetiver and Ambergris.