Black Musk
There is one material in Jovan Black Musk Eau de Cologne 88ml and that material is musk, so the value argument here is simple: you are buying a musk, at a drugstore price, and you will know within one spray whether you want it. Musk is the oldest trick in perfumery and the most divisive. In this treatment it is warm and soft, powdery rather than sharp, with a faint animal quality under the surface and a clean, skin like smell on top. It does not open with citrus and it does not close with resin or anything earthy. It is simply musk from the first minute to the last, growing quieter and closer as the hours pass.
That means there is no development to follow, which is worth stating plainly rather than dressing up. A one material composition is either exactly what you want or completely uninteresting, and nothing about the next few hours will change your mind. As an eau de cologne it is light in concentration, so expect three hours or so and spray without hesitation. It reads as masculine in the way that musks of this school traditionally do, though plenty of people wear it regardless, and it works year round because there is nothing seasonal about it. 88ml is a generous bottle for the money.
The brand is American and mass market, started with Jovan Musk in 1972, and built on affordable musk sold wherever ordinary people shopped rather than at department store counters. A 1981 tie up with the Rolling Stones on the Tattoo You tour is held up by the current owner as the first time a fragrance sponsored a rock band. Coty makes the range now, which also runs to Jovan Sex Appeal and Jovan White Musk.
Please note: images are a guide only. Packaging and bottle design may occasionally differ from those shown due to manufacturer updates or promotions.
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