Fragrance comparison

Mark Cross Eau de Cologne vs Mars Violet

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 15 ratings analysed

Mark Cross Eau de Cologne

Mark Cross

4.899 votes

Rank #21,119 AmberMossy

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

3 wins

Mars Violet

DSH Perfumes

3.676 votes

Rank #60,204 SweetAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Mars Violet takes 3 of 5 categories.

Mark Cross Eau de Cologne
Choose it for a amber and mossy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear.
Mars Violet
Choose it for a sweet and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.

Mark Cross Eau de Cologne2/5

Mars Violet3/5

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Mars Violet
Sillage & projection: Mark Cross Eau de Cologne
Value for money: Mars Violet
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Mars Violet
Fragranxe ranking: Mark Cross Eau de Cologne

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Mark Cross Eau de CologneMark Cross

Mars VioletDSH Perfumes

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.89/ 5 · 9 votes

Have 52%Had 18%Want 30%

3.67/ 5 · 6 votes

Have 6%Had 6%Want 88%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

89%Love

11%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

9 votes · too few to score

33%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

33%Dislike

0%Hate

6 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate97

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage58

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityMars Violet

SillageMark Cross Eau de Cologne

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value59

¤ Price value75

Category winnerMars VioletBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

mossy86%

woody72%

earthy58%

tobacco44%

sweet30%

sweet100%

amber92%

fruity84%

woody77%

balsamic69%

tobacco61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both amber, woody and sweet

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

AmberOakmossTobaccoWoody Notes

No top / heart / base split published

Notes

DatesSugarTobaccoBulgarian RoseAmberPlumTolu BalsamOakmossPeru BalsamTonka BeanSandalwoodCassis

No top / heart / base split published

Category winnerMars VioletLongest dry-down: 6 to 8 hours

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring57

Summer29

Fall71

Winter100

Day20

Night100

Spring60

Summer20

Fall100

Winter100

Day80

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men100

Unisex0

Women0

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#21,119

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Overall rank#60,204

PerfumerDawn Spencer Hurwitz

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerMark Cross Eau de CologneHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Mark Cross Eau de Cologne is a dry, mossy woods fragrance anchored by tobacco and warm amber. First launched in 1978, the profile relies on a traditional blend of oakmoss and woody notes, giving it a sturdy, forest floor earthiness. Sweet amber balances the dried leaf aroma of tobacco, keeping the texture smooth rathe…

Reviews →

Mars Violet by DSH Perfumes is an earthy, fruit-laced chypre built around dark plum, chewy dates, and warm tobacco. Despite the presence of sugar and tonka bean, the blend is far from a standard dessert scent. The sweetness stays measured, held in check by damp oakmoss, woody notes, and the resinous warmth of tolu bal…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Mark Cross Eau de Cologne or Mars Violet?

Mars Violet takes 3 of 5 categories. Mark Cross Eau de Cologne is rated 4.89/5 from 9 votes; Mars Violet is rated 3.67/5 from 6 votes. Choose Mark Cross Eau de Cologne for a amber and mossy character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter, evening wear. Choose Mars Violet for a sweet and amber character. Wins on longevity, value for money and note pyramid duration. Best in fall, evening wear.