Nirvana Amethyst

I first bought this in 2019 and have been wearing it since along with Bourbon. I think the two are closely related, sisters but not twins. I don’t get the smoke/tobacco note that some people describe getting from Bourbon, but I definitely get it here with Amethyst, although I am not sure I understand the “wet cigarette” smell some people describe either. At first spray there is a heavy smokiness to this, but for my nose this dissipates quickly. My dad wears TF Tobacco Vanille and that to me smells like cigarettes. Amethyst however has a much sweeter tobacco note that’s not quite as smoky or intense. After a while the prominence of this note diminishes and we’re left with a more woody, vanilla-like scent with hints of smokiness dancing in and out. I definitely get the wood, but perhaps that’s because I really love cedar in perfume and can distinguish it easily. I am not sure what the “spices” in the ingredients list refers to as my box doesn’t list any spices nor does my nose detect any either. There is no “spice” in this fragrance. I think this is a beautifully feminine fragrance, but the smokiness adds a bit of mystery. Whereas Bourbon might be described as “sexy,” Amethyst could very well be more “sultry.” However, I don’t envision this scent to be so sensual. To me it’s more like the young lady of the house, sitting in her father’s study reading mystery novels. The scent of his pipe lingers and mingles with the scent of the sweet flowers woven through her hair- the ones she picked on a gray, drizzly morning. She sits near the fireplace, her gown and hair still damp from her walk in the garden. That’s kind of what I see when I smell Amethyst. I find it an oddly comforting scent and I’ve never been told I smell like cigarettes, so there’s that. I have the bottle I bought in 2019 plus a backup as well as a few rollerballs. You do have to spray this liberally if you want the scent to get noticed, otherwise it sits very close to the skin. It does linger on clothing for much longer. I might get three hours out of this but I just remedy it by only wearing it to things where I don’t need to be there more than three hours lol. Dinners, some evening gatherings, etc. I don’t detect a difference between the rollerball and the spray in terms of how prominent the tobacco note is. Honestly, one of my favorite fragrances! If you’re interested in a sweet tobacco scent, check this out, especially now that the bottles are being sold so cheaply in some reseller sites.

I blind bought a mini rollerball bottle of this when I found one going for less than any samples I could find. I've seen this recommended a lot when people are looking for feminine tobacco scents, and the note listing sounded like it would feature it prominently, but if I didn't know there was supposed to be tobacco in this, I don't think I would have guessed it. I wouldn't have guessed the honeysuckle, either; it's sweet, but neither honeysuckle or tobacco really distinguishes itself to my nose. It does smell well blended, however- like there's more going on in there than I'm aware of, and there's -something- about it I do like, so maybe that's the tobacco and it's just very subtle. This is a very soft and delicate skin scent on me, sweet and powdery and gently spicy, and has kind of a vintage feel to it. It smells like some perfume I remember from a 1970s childhood- I want to say Heaven Sent, but this is a just little bit more spicy and mature smelling than that. A pretty, "perfumey"/cosmetic kind of scent with a slightly old-fashioned vibe. Not what I was expecting from this and not what I was looking for, but it's not bad by any means. I like it, but I'm looking for fragrances that are a little more tobacco-forward than this one. Maybe the tobacco comes out more if you use an atomizer rather than a rollerball? This is also such a very -quiet- perfume on me; it sits very close to the skin and I have trouble smelling it on myself after just a few minutes if I'm sitting still, although I can catch wafts of it when I move around. I can't stop -trying- to smell it, though. It's like chasing after a pretty ghost. UPDATE: 1/11/23: After wearing this a couple more times, I'm picking up the tobacco more. It really is subtle, and takes a little while to emerge on my skin, but it's there, adding warmth, spice, and a slightly savory quality to the sweet, powdery heart of this fragrance. I do think this is a really pretty scent; I just wish it was a little stronger. It's starting to grow on me in spite of that, though. An enthusiastic like! UPDATE 2: 2/8/23: Tried this again when my allergies weren't flaring up, and although I think it's probably -intended- to be a quiet perfume, I can smell it much more easily now! It's definitely growing on me. Very pretty, very feminine; familiar and unique at the same time. I'm thinking it could potentially be full bottle worthy!

I agree with others, this isn't a scent for everyone, but I love it! Cigarette smoke? Yes. Like Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille with less Vanille, much in the same way that Nirvana Bourbon was Tobacco Vanille without the Tobacco. This is sweet resinous pipe tobacco. And I mean, they NAILED IT! When I was a kid, we kept candy in these airtight glass pipe tobacco containers, that were just like the airtight candy jars you see so often. No matter how many times they were washed, the rubber seals always retained the smell of the pipe tobacco they originally housed. As soon as I smelled this, it instantly smelled familiar and it took me forever to realize where I'd smelled this before! This isn't a scent for the prude, this is a scent for those who partake. If tobacco offends you in real life, you might not want to wear this - but you will likely still appreciate it on others as it's still pleasant. Notes aside, something about this also reminds me of the smoky sweet part of Tuscan Leather. If you like Tuscan Leather or Tobacco Vanille, you WILL love this! The Elizabeth and James Nirvana series continues to amaze me with scent quality since Bourbon and Rose. (I own both) I keep finding resemblances with Tom Ford fragrances, and I'm personally not complaining about that at all. There's nothing wrong with finding inspiration in other scents, and I think their creativity will benefit from it - and I believe it has with both this, and Nirvana French Grey, but I'll need to sample French Grey a bit more before I can review that one. Overall, projection is moderate, possibly a tad discrete, but it performs just fine for me and lasts longer than I need it to. This is another E&J scent that's perfectly suited for both men and women and the scent quality is awesome! To future me: You want this. It's every bit as good as Nirvana Bourbon.

I got a small roll-on today and already kicking myself for not buying a bigger bottle that I just saw in TJMaxx a couple of days ago for $20. This fragrance turned out to be what positive reviews talk about - expensive smelling, natural well-blended notes, niche-vibe, pleasantly sweet, but not cloying at all, with very slight spiciness and bitterness that's barely there, lasting a decent amount of time but close to skin which for this type of scent is perfect, because if it was a power-house filling up a room it would take away from its exquisiteness and would make it seem more brash and in-your-face type of scent. The only reason I didn't want to buy a full bottle right away is somewhat polarizing reviews mentioning that it smelled like a wet ash-tray or casino cigarette smoke, or even nice reviews but still comparing it to sweet cigar smoke. Some reviewers who loved the scent were still worried that people around them may think that they started smoking)) I don't like anything cigar or cigarette oriented, especially as in old cigarette butts sitting in an ash-tray. I smoked several times in my younger days, and usually it went together with partying, other people around me smoking, alcohol, and of course, hang-over the next day while cleaning out ash-trays..Ugh...I was getting a hang-over headache all over again by just reading those types of reviews about this scent... Well, there is literally nothing in this beautiful fragrance that would even slightly remind me about "anything cigarette"...I guess it's absolutely a matter of personal skin chemistry. I wish I took a chance on a blind-buy and the largest bottle for an unbeatable price..Oh, well...

Not a review yet. I just ordered this and French Grey. I already have Black, White, and Rose. This line is now discontinued and all of them are available for almost giveaway prices on Ebay. If you are interested in trying or purchasing any of them, now is the time. I am considering them future collector's items! Not interested in purchasing Bourbon, but I may have to just to complete the set. Review to follow! 8/4/2020: Perfume arrived today, and it is my favorite Nirvana so far. It is deceptively simple, and very sophisticated, yet sexy. The pipe tobacco dominates. This isn't plain tobacco though. It's pipe tobacco with a touch of cherry vanilla. That note, along with the cedar, provides the composition with a depth that belies so few notes. The honeysuckle is there, but not overly floral. Instead it lends a sweetness that is far from cloying. I do not smell anything spicy yet, but it has not yet fully dried down. No doubt that the tobacco is the star here, but it isn't an overly masculine tobacco. It veers ever so slightly into feminine territory. That said, as is the case with the entire collection, it is absolutely unisex The perfumes in the collection are quite layerable, and they were all released as pairs that are meant to complement each other: Black and White; Amethyst and French Grey; and Rose and Bourbon. Despite the fact that the Olsen twins are celebrities, I do not consider any of them to be "celebrity" scents. They are the products of the two women's second act as designers of merit, not their younger, TV star selves. Very accomplished, and very chic. Ooh - the spices are coming out now! Gorgeous!