Albert Barnes Commentary Mark 16:1

"And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the [mother] of James, and Salome, bought spices, that they might come and anoint him." — Mark 16:1 (ASV)

Sweet spices. Aromatics. Substances used in embalming. The idea of sweetness is not, however, implied in the original. Many of the substances used for embalming were bitter; for example, myrrh, and none of them perhaps could properly be called sweet. The word spices expresses all that there is in the original.

Anoint him. Embalm him. Or, apply these spices to his body to keep it from putrefaction. This is proof that they did not suppose he would rise again. And the fact that they did not expect he would rise gives more strength to the evidence for his resurrection.