Description
Under the Elizabeth and James fashion brand founded by the famous American twin sisters, actresses and style icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, the fragrances Nirvana White and Nirvana Black were introduced in 2013. In early August 2016, they are expanding the collection with two new editions – Nirvana Rose and Nirvana Bourbon – available at Sephora.
Nirvana Bourbon, said to be provocative and passionate, is made of Bourbon vanilla, tuberose and oak wood.
The glass bottles in the colors crimson red and cognac follow the sleek design of the original line. The fragrances are available as a 30 and 50 ml Eau de Parfum, as well as a mini rollerball (prices range from $25 to $85).
vitrinaschaem – :
I love this one personally being big on vanilla based scents. Here you get a more masculine (deff. unisex) smokier vanilla.. the vanilla here isn’t super sweet cakey smelling.. more buttery/ powdery. I think of a way lighter by the fireplace or yes Midnight Shimmer by M. Kors like a previous person commented. I will agree yes this is faint could’ve been amped up just a little but I still like it. One of those cozy comfort skin scents perfect for fall/winter. I have this layered today with Derek Lam’s “Something Wild” & it’s love almost tempted to spring for a bottle but I already have so many fragrances to go through & I have & love Something Wild more..so I think I can suffice w/o it.. unless someone gifts it to me..lol
vadim_m09 – :
Tested on a card today. Initially, I was in masculine heaven then it faded into something boring. Disappointment. I will have to test them all sometime soon bc I did find the opening interesting. Maybe it develops more on the skin.
filecashsu – :
@ Music
Thanks for your advice, but I think I’ll keep calling out people that leave completely misleading comparisons.
There are people out there that are silly enough to rely on comparisons from this site as being somewhat accurate. They base blind buys on these reviews if they’re not in a position to sample.
Someone has to say something when people on here start claiming fragrances smell alike, when in reality they really don’t.
Between claiming this smells like By The Fireplace and Lutens JdP smelling almost identical to Adam Levine it’s hard for me to sit and read such misleading comparisons
evinyHevy – :
Smells great, a unisex and elegant woody vanilla, just as you’d expect given the notes, but it’s very soft on me, almost undetectable after a few minutes.
sxf421bedyWelty – :
I cannot decide whether I love or hate this perfume. On the one hand, the woody vanilla is beautiful as we move into fall – and alluring, to boot. On the other hand, my skin brings out a slight “stale tobacco” or “smoker’s breath” note that is considerably less attractive. Or maybe I just associate the smell of stale tobacco with bourbon? (My SO only smells vanilla when I wear Nirvana Bourbon, though, for what that counts.)
I do find the longevity to be decent, though, at least when applied on my wrists with a rollerball. It lasted through the night and a couple handwashings, as a light vanilla-amber.
Yello – :
I get a similarity to Eau de Baux by L’Occitane.
romanirio193 – :
@CB23….everyone is allowed an opinion on a fragrance. Your review is worded kind of rudely. Perhaps stick to actually reviewing the fragrance instead of commenting on other’s opinions.
For the record, to add to my previous review, I am still enjoying this and hope to wear it in the fall frequently when I want to feel cozy.
ETA: Apparently my nose is “broken” (see above reviews) so disregard any comparison I make with fragrances. Lol. What a laugh! I stand by it being in the same boat as “By the fireplace”. It is not an exact dupe but a milder version to my nose. I was very recently pregnant and had a baby so it is unlikely my nose doesn’t work properly. You do you, CB23 and I will follow my own nose. Thanks.
zz77 – :
This is way better suited for a man, just like nirvana black. Passed it onto my husband
Dronatello – :
I really like the smell on the paper. Smelled like nice soft incense.
But sadly,again, on my skin it just smells like BBQ meat:(
Why?
okoronkwo – :
It is funny how a spray vs a rollerball can bring out different notes in a fragrance. I had only ever tried this one as a rollerball and I got more of the vanilla at that time. Based on that, I just bought a big bottle of this and after the first spray I was surprised how smoky it was. This reminds me so much of Replica “By the Fireplace”. We are about to enter summer here, so I will save it for the cooler weather. I like it but would likely layer it with vanilla, to make it less “fireplace” like.
Amunkjudy – :
Very soft. Does not project. An instant skin scent. But it is pleasant: a warm, woody vanilla that smells almost like tobacco. Too bad it is so weak.
mansy13 – :
My wife just got a sample of this in a Sephora Play box. This frag was not for her, she said. I took a snort. To me, it was all powder and vanilla and sweet. I’m not a fan of powder at all in fragrances for women OR men. There is a slight, minimal hint of woody and earthy, but — again — the powder and sweetness is predominant. For ladies, this would be OK but would not be a magnet for me. Not unisex at all to my nose.
Remic – :
I have a lot of respect for Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s fragrance line, Elizabeth and James. I own two of their fragrances already and am keen to smell all that this brand has to offer.
I have wanted to test Nirvana Bourbon for quite some time now. I am very familiar with the scent of bourbon whisky as it is one of the drinks of choice for my partner and I. Boozy scents, however, aren’t always a genre that I tend to enjoy wearing. I owned a bottle of Frapin’s 1697 years ago that I sold on due to my inability to do its rum-dominant scent justice.
Nirvana Bourbon does smell like thick, head-spinning booze on my skin, however, it has been softened by dry, resinous vanilla and a woodsy drydown. I disagree that this scent is purely for women, I could definitely see a man wearing this fragrance. In fact, many scents from the Elizabeth and James line are easily unisex.
Nirvana Bourbon was quite rich with a strong projection for at least the first hour or so on my skin. Unfortunately, this fragrance becomes tamer as the scent develops with the sillage softening into a skin scent by the time the fragrance has reached its base notes. I was disappointed that Nirvana Bourbon didn’t have the same strength as Nirvana Black does on my skin.
I won’t be adding Nirvana Bourbon to my growing Elizabeth and James collection, however, I find it a pleasant addition to their Nirvana range.
Poobolvejed – :
I think this is my first official review here. I just received this today, after beginning my quest for boozy scents. It is, indeed, boozy at first spray. Now, I am reminded of Chloe Narcisse, though a much softer version. I really, really enjoy how I smell right now, as it drifts up from my neck every few minutes. I feel like I want to layer it with some on the sweet/clean side, so I will begin experimenting.
milgqp – :
This scent is perfect for an INTIMATE encounter. Its softness and woody,smokey,semi sweet vanilla is IMO intoxicating..especially in an intimate setting. I guarantee it will make your partner search for the places in which you applied this fragrance…….and…stay there ..all for your pleasure/playtime. Its NOT for wearing to stand out in a crowd or gather compliments at work……but…It will garner amazing carnal cuddling and more!!!
свет – :
Oh my dear E&J Bourbon, I adore you! Let’s hangout together everyday! Or at least until I use you up! And I will use you up my love!
Layered or on its own this scent rocks my nose and brain and makes me happy.
Layered with E&J Rose, it really keeps my attention and I think “what smells so darn sexy?”
ME!
I try to keep it toned down so as not to offend anyone at the office.
So Shhhh don’t tell anyone about this.
Gor8813 – :
Whenever I see the word Bourbon I automatically think whiskey rather than vanilla, strange really as I’m clearly a fragrance fan but I’m obviously more of a whiskey fan so there you go.
Well, who knew I would’ve been eerily accurate in that assumption, the opening is boozy and not in a good way, the base alcohol in this seems to take an age to disperse, which can happen with some (even the best) vanillas because they are so subtle and take time to develop. Then you get the other type which are just poorly executed and sadly that’s what E&J Nirvana Bourbon is, a meek, woody perfume which is an oak note, again subtlety conveyed and a vague booziness which is quite nice and then barely a flicker of the main player vanilla. It’s a shame because I can tell there the basis of a good perfume in here but it’s so patheticly mild it comes over like an anosmic, single woody molecule that quite honestly….bearly registers. I like the bottle and the branding though…they look pretty cool.
zona__0909 – :
Bourbon vanilla is my favorite vanilla, so I had to finally get this. You can find a 100ml from Fragrancenet for $60, so I did it. (NIB)
While it was in transit (it was a blind buy) I sampled Nirvana Amethyst and while I liked it… I have other/better tobacco scents and sillage/potency left a LOT to be desired.
Now Bourbon is here, and it’s the same light/airy, dry disappointing sillage/potency. (However, it lasted all night on my shirt) It is primarily WOODY with a hint of boozy vanilla. It’s like a cedar barrel that held bourbon about 100 years ago. It’s not a bad scent, but I def wouldn’t rebuy it. I wear perfume to smell/enjoy myself and this is just too light. However, if someone is sensitive to fragrance– this would be ideal for someone who find Tobacco Vanille WAY too strong. It’s unisex in a way that it’s not sweet or masculine, it’s a very light linear WOOD.
This was a cold winter testing, so maybe this likes heat more? Or else, it’s one of those quality scents that melts into you and surfaces with body heat/movement/wind.
I also noticed with my sample vial of Amethyst, I used about 10 sprays but only half the vial (if even) so this appears to spray in a light light mist which may explain the weakness? I went BANANAS on my shirt today with Bourbon from the big bottle, so we’ll see how that fares.
Also, I did detect a SMOKY bit to the wood, which could come across as a smoker to some people. But overall it’s a WOOD/CEDAR to me with a hint of smoky sweetness.
And yes, I blind bought Black too for a good price, but that comes later in the week.
odnolyb – :
I wanted to love this, but I don’t. I’m not sure if I even like it. The first blast is way too strong and sharp. When it settles down, it is more pleasant, but there’s still something “off” about it. About the time I think I might warm up to it, it disappears.
EDIT: I gave it another chance, and I think I’m starting to like it.
wdb115speagoessenda – :
I really like this fragrance but I’m sorry to say you won’t be a purchase for me. You claim to be a parfum but really you’re an over priced toilette. The longevity is terrible…maybe two hours. Wishing you lasted all day Nirvana Bourbon! It’s a shame because you are a good smelling perfume. Either reduce your price to around the 40-50 dollar range or figure out how to get the staying power to last all day.
bookkeeper – :
Can a man pull this one off? Would love someone’s input! Just the description alone, this one must smell phenomenal! The tobacco, the bourbon vanilla, and the oak wood (basically the whole fragrance itself) mingle beautifully together. Since discovering Black Orchid EDP can be worn by men as well, this (to me at least) makes me rethink the idea entirely of which way a fragrance is supposed to sway and who is to wear it. I say, if your comfortable whilst wearing this, just do it! (think Shia Lebeouf)
Николай Николаевич – :
The opening here reminds me very much of the great Shalimar, with its smokey, burnt rubber accord. That burnt rubber thing is something you will either love or hate. No inbetween. (I personally find it intoxicating.) But this however, is where the similarities of the two end.
Whereas Shalimar loses most of its smokiness as it dries down to become a sophisticated, retro, powdery cremebrule, Nirvana Bourbon takes a contemporary turn and retains much of its smokey opening, while morphing into a deep, boozy, woody and almost caramelized vanilla.
Hard to believe that all this comes from three simple notes.
Love it from start to finish.
mishalab – :
This fragrance conjures the sights and smells of a dimly lit Speakeasy. Feathers and pearls, sparkling clunky bottles of bourbon and gin, cloudy mirrors, vanilla candles casting a golden glow and the stale smoke of clove cigarettes lingering in the air.
ferstenfeged – :
Every review I’ve read of this perfume says that it’s longevity is terrible, but I put it on 8 hours ago, and I am still getting whiffs of it. Maybe my skin just reacts really well? As for the smell, I think it smells like a less spicy Tobacco Vanille by Tom Ford.
aborigen43 – :
this juice smells amazing!!!!!! absoulutely magical and i get this woody vanilla with a hint of strong spice behind it…..i was gonna make this my next investment then i noticed something quite familiar and something i find in a lot of frags even though this is marketed to women i am so disappointed that this scent is ULTRA FLEETING…..SUPER SOFT SILAGE….WEAK AND CRIPPLED PREFORMANCE…….PEE WATER STRENGH JUICE…its a damn shame cause if this juice had even moderate preformance i would still consider getting it but at the same price point there are many choices of juice that preform better. damn damn damn…..this scent is so good……magic sweet burnt woods and vanilla cooked but……preformance is just dismal…..must re-apply once an hour to get any power.
Corey_Tailor – :
Purchased the big bottle. I wanted all of my sweaters to smell like it…my new fall scent…boozy vanilla oak barrel dream. Fell in love and then found myself huffing my arm only a half hour later to get the slightest whiff and all that was left was a trace of wood. Like I brushed my arm inside a humidor and a molecule or three rubbed off. Tried on my shirt with the same result. How sad. Returned this heartbreaker. A Bourbon Intense version would be amazing, though.
ItetteGroky – :
Heavy on the wood and light on the vanilla. Very linear. Not interesting or deep enough. It feels so thin, like it’s really missing body. I would love it more if it had some more oomph, but it just is missing something for me.
The sillage is poor and the longevity is not much better, which is too common among Elizabeth and James perfumes.
In the end I gave my mini rollerball to my brother, because I feel like it would work better as a men’s fragrance.
Bonisataippiz – :
Received as a sample when I ordered from Sephora. This stuff was sprayed on myself and 2 other women. Overwhelmingly we all HATED this perfume! It smelled like menthol and vanilla custard had a baby. You cannot escape the menthol smell. We washed it off immediately laughing at how nasty this smelled. It is still on our skin. Fortunately it is not anywhere near as powerful but my nose won’t stop itching I do not know about the other 2 ladies. I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS EVER!!
gav974 – :
I already love Nirvana White and initially I thought Bourbon would live up to White, but alas… that one woody, smoky note in the initial spray is awful to me. It smells like I literally just rubbed my wrists all over old rubber tires. If it weren’t for that one pesky note, this would be a top favorite of mine. The rest of it is yummy. On the positive side, the drydown is better than the first spray because that woody smoke pretty much disappears and leaves a sweet vanilla goodness behind. This is still a solid B+, but could’ve been a gorgeous A.
freddark – :
Nirvana Bourbon smells like wood. I do get some sweetness from the vanilla, but the tuberose is almost indistinguishable. My husband says it reminds him more of cedar than oak, and I suppose I “wood” have to agree. (heehee)
It’s similar to Nirvana Black in that the vanilla in both stay nicely bound to the main note in the perfume (sandalwood in Black, oak here). The vanilla does eventually fade a bit to reveal that strong wood base, but thankfully, the vanilla doesn’t fade entirely and remains with the oak note to give a little sweetness.
Sillage and longevity are pretty good, but Bourbon isn’t nearly as long-lasting or strong as some other Nirvana fragrances.
I’ve got this one on my “to purchase” list, although I might get a rollerball before I purchase a bigger bottle.
*UPDATE: I’m planning on buying a bottle of this. After further testing, I can’t stop wearing it and thinking about it.
ehk408speagoessenda – :
Got a sample of this in Sephora….took a whif from the bottle and thought this might be ok…got it home sprayed in on and it was instant love. I will purchase the biggest bottle of this available. I can easily see this as being my signature wild card scent. It is smoky, sweet bourbon, vanilla….I used to always get complimented when I wore Atelier vanilla insensee and I am sure this one will get compliments as well. A European you tuber was explaining that the Bourbon vanilla is called that because the vanilla comes from a place called “Bourbon”. I digress…..anyway this is beautiful. Also unisex!
beztar – :
Just received this yesterday and wore it the next day. I fell in love with it. It reminds me of Escada Magnatism for Men. I went to an event and shared that I am wearing a new scent and all my gay sisters asked…”thats a woman’s perfume isnt it? I said yes, but I think I like it any way.
babek721 – :
Bought the 4 mini rollerball set and loved this one the best. It’s a good strong vanilla that is wrapped around a powerful, smokey, almost leatherlike, mentholated herbal and resinous core that reminds me of Tigerbalm ointment. The vanilla is always present but during the development of the Tigerbalm phase retreats to the edges but always comes back. It’s very good for the price but unlike Eau Duelle, that I tried it side by side with, it’s not as multi-layered, camphorous, or well blended. In Duelle the vanilla is the center and all the ingredients are seamlessly melded into it creating one whole harmonious scent. Whereas in Bourbon, the vanilla is around the other ingredients like it envelops them without melding in with them so you can smell the other ingredient very strongly and the vanilla at times sits at the edges.
Bourbon is much more linear than Duelle but still unexpectedly well made. I didn’t have high hopes for the line as I didn’t quite like the other offerings as much as this.
voffka54 – :
First off, I stupidly bought this without trying it, in the rollerball form because I saw the 2 reviews describing it as a softer Eau Duelle. It’s not…at least not to my nose. I put this on and I’m getting a lot of woody notes and musky notes and a thin vein of sweetness down the center that is very faint. The lightest trace of vanilla. It’s very hard to smell unless I get my nose right by my wrist, and when I do smell it it’s just really woody/musky and masculine. It smells like an air freshener I’ve smelled in the past. I really want to get that Eau Duelle vibe but I’m just not. I’m glad it works for others, but for me it’s not a winner. I wouldn’t repurchase. At least it’s just a rollerball. I was half tempted to buy a full bottle because I thought it looked cute. Lol. I kind of get that woody dry down feeling of Taylor Swift Wonderstruck with this. I haven’t had it on too long, like a half hour. So maybe it will get better, but as for now I’m disappointed.
Edit: I kind of like this for what it is, instead of thinking of it as a cheaper option to Diptyque Eau Duelle, if I just smell it on it’s own merits, I do kind of enjoy it now. It still has that masculine vibe, that’s undeniable on my skin, but it’s somewhat comforting and warm. The sillage is very close to the skin though. And the longevity isn’t great. I have the roller ball and I think that might be the smartest version to buy, because it makes for easy reapplication. But there is something really pretty about all the Nirvana bottles. They’re all the same just in a different hue, and they’re really lovely, sleek, and modern. Now that I am enjoying this, I might upgrade to a larger size. Still nothing like Eau Duelle to my nose, but it’s a nice scent unto itself.
Karvet – :
It’s a nice boozy vanilla with a very strong kinda oak barrel woods base that to me is the best part of this. Unfortunatly silage and longevity are pretty deplorable.
Fripingplurry – :
This is a nice sweet woody fragrance on me.
I like this fragrance line. Classy.
I also, Do not find this to be unisex at all.
Very Femme. Overall, I just like it.
alex0005 – :
First off, let me say I love unisex fragrances, and I even will wear a man’s fragrance once in a blue moon. But this unfortunately for me, is way too masculine smelling. “I am a man!!” is what I feel like this shouts when I wear this. I detect nothing unisex, much less feminine, about this at all. To me this smells like a cheap drugstore cologne that a teenage boy would purchase as his very first fragrance with his allowance.
Even though there is no alcohol note in this, silly me, I expected a boozy scent about this, but there is no boozy scent at all. All I pick up is a very heavy musk and patchouli, which is odd because neither is listed in the notes. There is a definite warmth to this. But unfortunately to me it is a cheap smelling, and way too overpowering. When I wear this, I just picture young boys in junior high school who don’t know the art of fragrances or how to use them sparingly, and unfortunately smell like they bathed in their first ever bottle of cologne. Showering, still smells some on the skin faintly.
I applaud the Olsen twins and their perfumers for seemingly trying to be edgy and create “different” scents, but this one misses the mark, at least for me.
I would suggest testing this out first before buying, if possible. As with pretty much all of the Elizabeth and James fragrances I’ve ever tried, I feel like this is one of those fragrances that will smell like 5 different fragrances on 5 different women, which is pretty remarkable, given there are only 3 notes. Lasts all day (and beyond) with a couple of quick spritzes.
StephenRO – :
One of my favorites. Smokey sweet. Sexy.
mazerati – :
I thought I’d love it, but no. There’s nothing special or captivating about Bourbon to me and it’s the most fleeting on me of all the Nirvana perfumes and I have and love all the others. A vague boozy note, but not nearly as warm and comforting as I thought it’d be.
belogoro – :
On me, it smells like I spent all night at a bonfire soaking in the wood smoke and eating smores…and then didn’t shower the next day. Seriously. It’s not repulsive, it’s just not something I want to smell like.
lamnannoksnut – :
This smells like cologne of the missions to me but lasts longer. If you like that one I thing you would be pleased with this one.
morixodka – :
Delicious indeed, a gourmand woodsy. Boozy vanilla with oak, reminded me a little of Atelier Cologne Vanille Insensee but without the dryness, this one is much more sweet and Ambery on me. I really warms up on my skin and develops into more of an amber scent on me despite it not having any amber. As others have said the Bourbon is definitely in there and savory. It’s so simple with the few notes but lovely and different, hangs close to the skin and doesn’t last very long but it’s a fleeting beauty I feel is worth having to enjoy, the short lived scent adds to the charm I suppose. I didn’t really notice the tuberose at all which was nice since that note usually likes to overpower the others, but in this one the vanilla and oak dominate and pair well together. I am extremely picky and this one is a keeper, going on my wishlist asap! Works well on a man or a woman, my partner is a simple guy that doesn’t care for fragrance and he loves smelling this on me.
Herr F – :
Loooove this! It’s yummy, it’s vanilla, it’s bourbon, it’s boozy, it’s everything I want a bourbon fragrance to be: totally wearable without smelling like you’ve been at the pub too long or you had one too many to drink.
This is can be a bit too heavy for during the day so it is perfect for night time. ALWAYS complimented when wearing this, guys absolutely love it and they can totally wear it too!
DonaldGT – :
This is really straight vanilla. There is some smokiness close to the skin. Feels really light in the same way “White” was, poor sillage. Maybe there is an idea of tuberose here, but not one I’m very familiar with, it’s so tamed. Where tuberose usual dominates with a musky powdery fragrance, this is a muted hint of sweetness from a white floral. Pretty uninteresting. 5/10 maybe even 4.5
misha57 – :
Smelling this off a paper sample, it smells like vanilla and floral. A very sweet floral. Unless there is something wrong with my nose, there are no notes of any type of sweet floral in it. I have not tried it on my skin yet, I will post my official review of it in the future. I do like this one a lot better than Nirvana rose though.
pxezqbscyjr – :
Nirvana Bourbon is not my favorite Elizabeth and James perfume.
I kind of object to the idea of “vanilla bourbon” in the first place, which is the note listed on the box — is it bourbon, or vanilla? Is it bourbon whiskey with vanilla incorporated? (Ew y’all.) Is it bourbon vanilla, a type of vanilla pod harvested only in Madagascar? (Maybe?) To say nothing of the tuberose note listed (what?).
When I smell this, I get a smooth dose of vanilla, drying quickly down to a smoky, smoky oak backbone. Calling this an Eau de Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille seems so accurate to me, particularly because of the rapid drydown. The tuberose and likewise the booze are lost on me — so much the better. Not sure I trust an Olsen twin with a tuberose.
If you want a whiff of bourbon, pick up the original: Nirvana Black. The first thing I smell when I spray it on is a stiff shot of whiskey sweating on a bar, maybe with some Ramones playing in the back room of the dive. Not Evan Williams, either. The good stuff.
★★
botarg – :
This was an INSTANT love for me after receiving a sample in a swap.
First things first, this is definitely unisex. It does lean more feminine, but I don’t feel out of place wearing it at all, and the girlfriend likes it on me as well. I originally purchased it for her, but she preferred Nirvana White, so I gladly kept this one for myself. Nirvana Bourbon is the most unisex of the line, in my opinion. It definitely shares the same DNA with the other Elizabeth and James Nirvana scents, specifically, there’s something in all of them that reminds me of magazine pages (in a good way).
The notes are almost unexpected for the clean smell they create. Cedar, vanilla, tuberose, tobacco, and a little bit of incense and elemi resin. I also wouldn’t be surprised if there were a touch of some sort of citrus in this that isn’t listed. I get a very faint wisp of the same grapefruit blossom that’s in Dior Homme Cologne at the top, but it might just be my imagination. It definitely has that same sort of brightness, in spite of the ingredients, which are usually deeper and more smoky. With that being said, I don’t find this boozy in the alcoholic sense, but instead it will remind you a bit of a charred oak barrel, in the best way possible.
Maybe it’s because I’m a man and I’m not used to women’s scents, but on me this lasts pretty well and performs pretty consistently! The projection is very low compared to most women’s perfumes, but still moderate compared to men’s scents, and it also projects very consistently. It has lasted on me at least 7-8 hours every time I’ve worn it. It does sit close to the skin and it’s easily forgotten after about 4-5 hours, but then suddenly you’ll catch a whiff and realize it’s still there, lightly.
Wearing Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille today, Nirvana Bourbon is somewhat similar to it, but definitely much more feminine. That’s by no means a bad thing, even for me, because although I LIKE Tobacco Vanille, I find it utterly deep and somewhat unwearable. Tobacco Vanille is not very versatile, but Nirvana Bourbon takes what I like about the dry down of Tobacco Vanille and makes it more wearable and more cheery. Also, Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose is similar to a lighter version of Tom Ford’s Noir de Noir to my nose. I honestly believe that’s where the inspiration for these two fragrances came from, and that’s by no means a bad thing!
If the price doesn’t make you squint, this is definitely a scent worth checking out – for men and women alike – ESPECIALLY if you’re looking for a more wearable or more feminine alternative to Tom Ford’s Tobacco Vanille!
sofi-leo – :
I feel like I am crazy because this fragrance seems to be universally loved on here and I am not a big fan.
After buying a 4-scent rollerball sampler of all the Nirvana perfumes currently released, I don’t think I will buy anymore. This brand is too hit or miss and the execution leaves something to be desired. I like Black, but none of the others (White is too musty of a floral, Rose is medicinal aftershave). This one is strange for sure. It definitely captures a moment, just not one I enjoy:
Nirvana Bourbon starts appropriately boozy, with an ambery vanilla and, to me, a caramel note. It is a smoky gourmand to begin and is on its way to living up to its name. But then it changes. And I have no idea how to describe this, but it smells like a doctor’s office. It’s as if you just walked in the exam room after they had sprayed a vanilla air freshener in it. There is something powdery and antiseptic in the background. I hesitate to say medicinal because it doesn’t smell that way either. It must be the interaction of the oak and tuberose.
Wish this one was for me, sad that 2/4 Nirvana fragrances I picked up are destined for the swap bin. I can at least layer this with other things and experiment. I do not have the desire to scrub it off my wrist like other fragrances I dislike.
vads0n – :
this is lovely it just doesn’t last long.
Alexalex2 – :
So gorgeous. The boozy vanilla (just wonderful!!), balanced perfectly with the woody notes, so surreal. Really perfect!! Well, almost perfect… I’m going through this bottle like water… It does sit close to the skin (projection minimal, would love for this to give 2-3 feet, but it just doesn’t, one ft max, and that’s within first half hour of spray) and fades more quickly than I want or am happy with (like 4 hours, I guess, Would prefer 6+ at least)… But, it smells sooo good. It is refined, nuanced, comfy, sexy, boozy, lovely… I am not willing to part with it.. Will be going in very soon for my next bottle, and I will likely be purchasing the roller-ball additionally to carry with me to refresh the scent while out… Am hoping this will help me not be heartbroken when I’m trapped out away from my precious bottle… So far, I really do teeter on if this scent is worth the heartbreak of the fast fade and low projection and how much I am spending and spraying… but it totally has me, I even want to spray it on my skin before bed, though I resist because it’s wasteful..
stotbacyclads – :
Boozy, ambery, bourbon vanilla. A softer version of Diptyque Eau Duelle.
albatros1974 – :
I surprised myself and bought Nirvana Bourbon without hesitation after spritzing some into the air on a recent visit to Sephora. Bourbon is delightfully woody, vanilla and the slightest suggestion of tuberose. I do get a tobacco vibe though tobacco is not listed in the note pyramid. The longevity is very good on me, about 6 hours. Sillage moderate. Warm, powdery, very sexy scent. Thankfully very different from most of the current mainstream offerings. I think this one is perfect for both day and evening wear. A winner from Elizabeth & James.
akanamaki14 – :
This has something smokey in it. Intensely smokey.. Boozy, slightly sweet, smoke. I adore it. I think men can totally wear this, Its a very unisex fragrance.
Gorgeous for anyone in my opinion. I love this one a lot. Lasts a good amount of time and the sillage is moderate so it wont offend anyone.
Edit: I gave it to my boyfriend and it smells divine on him!
pemJifiakevak – :
I have smelt this, and it is very pleasant. Tell me, can men wear this too? I know it is geared towards women, however, fragrances like Tom Ford Black Orchid EDP is also geared for women BUT I own it and find it to be unisex. I’d really like to know some thoughts about whether both sexes can wear it.
никита1 – :
LOVE THIS FRAGRANCE! Ive never smelt anything like it on anyone before. It was a blind buy going by reviews i read. Im so happy i love it so much..i sprayed it about 20-30 mins ago initially it was floral n woodsy Its now vanilla n ciguar burban musk mmmm
Keeldlarcoomo – :
LOVE THIS FRAGRANCE! Ive never smelt anything like it on anyone before. It was a blind buy going b