Nirvana Black

The store that I work at sells a good amount of perfume and cologne at discounted prices. During the holiday rush, we get an influx of stock due to increased demand during that busy shopping period. I noticed some perfume on the shelf that I'd never heard of before, Elizabeth and James. I went about my daily rountine during my shifts and just ignored their existance. We had two, 50 ml. bottles, Nirvana Black and Nirvana White. The later had eventually sold but other sat there on the shelf day after day. I admit that the "violet, sandalwood, vanilla" description on the box intrigued me, especially the vanilla because I love it so. However, in the past I haven't had much luck finding a pleasing fragrance that is heavy on the vanilla. I decided to research this enigma and discovered that this was actually a celebrity perfume by the Olsen twins, Mary-Kate and Ashley. In my mind, I wrote it off but as I started to read different reviews, my interest was peaked. This lone bottle never did sell and was marked down on clearance. So for 44 dollars plus my 10 percent off, I decided to give it a go so I bit the bullet and did a blind buy (even though I was nervous!) I've been burnt on blind buys many times in the past! (Havent we all?!) The following day I showered, spritzed it on, got dressed and left for work. At first I panicked because I was indifferent about the initial violet note (a little sharp) but it fades quickly and leaves behind a soft sandalwood/vanilla scent that I found myself really enjoying as the day unfolded. Low and behold, I was impressed! This perfume is nothing like your typical celebrity scent offering. I find it to be a step-up. If I hadn't have known before smelling it that it was a celebrity fragrance, I wouldn't have believed it. It smells "expensive" and the bottle itself is modern and streamlined, making it lovely and classy looking. Most vanilla scents I've tried have been suffucating and choking but this is quieter and more understated. Unfortunately, I find that it sits extremely close to the skin and doesn't project very well. It's lasting power is also below average. I, however, don't care because I enjoy wearing it anyway, even if it's just for my own pleasure. A vanilla scent that I can finally call successful on my skin. Overall, it puts me in mind of some other scents I've tried over the years. "Boyfriend" (Kate Walsh), "Success is a Job in New York" (Bond No. 9), "Addict" (Dior), "Ambre" (L'Occitane) and "Organza Indecence" (Givenchy.) By no means am I saying that these perfumes smell like Nirvana Black but something about wearing them puts me in the same mind set. If only it lasted and projected more. It would be near perfection for me. I am still going to wear it, regardless and will enjoy the intimacy of it.

I just received my first bottle of this (and the formula) and my goodness... This is soooo amazing!! I'm getting mostly Vanilla and Sandalwood from this and that is just the bees knees!! But then there's the lightest air of the Violet in this that makes you do a double-take...triple-take...like WHAT!?!?! This has GOT to be one of the most lusciously simple-but-complex fragrances that I have ever encountered!! It feels thick...but light at the same time...and yet...airy? I can't fully...correctly...express how this frag makes me feel on this first wear. So far, the initial spray and the mid are just flooring me...I did NOT expect such a well balanced and actually vanillic-tone to be present in this fragrance. I honestly expected it to be like my bottle of "Ajmal - Violet Musc", but no...this fragrance is more woods and vanilla with just enough Violet to make it powdery on the drydown and to give it a floral brightness that otherwise would not exist. Simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I'm going to wear this to run errands tomorrow and I can't wait to see how it does with full coverage spraying!! I cannot WAIT to make a bottle of this! I'll be ordering components all weekend because I HAVE to drown myself in this multiple times a week from a 6oz spray bottle!! (UPDATE) Building this frag worked out well, but its a little light in the pants. I may increase the concentration so that it's stronger and longer lasting. Sillage and projection don't seem to be a problem...just longevity. I've gotten plenty of compliments on my build from people during my travels...but I wind up reapplying after about 4 hours. The OG bottle lasts a little over 5...still unsure how to match the original creations performance. I will figure out what they did...it's just a matter of time and chemicals....

To me Nirvana Black reinforces the idea that perfume is such a personal experience. I’m not sure what it is about this fragrance in particular but combined with my skin chemistry this never fails to garner compliments. People always stop to ask what I’m wearing and why I just smell so *good*. I’ve worn it at the height of an Australian summer while on holiday and on foggy, cold rainy days. Because this fragrance isn’t a powerhouse when it comes to longevity and sillage, I don’t feel that it ever gets overwhelming even on hot, sticky, and humid days. I spray this once in the morning and can smell it for most of the day, though by the end of the day while it’s still there it’s definitely sitting close to the skin. This might be something to consider, but for me it adds to the appeal and sexiness of the fragrance, seeing as someone would have to get close enough to get a whiff of it in the first place. This fragrance is deceptively complex, despite consisting of only 3 notes. They all blend so beautifully to create this intoxicating fragrance. Nirvana Black is wads of cash, a hint of recently smoked cigarettes, good sex, and smudged lipstick. It’s edgy and mysterious and not giving a fuck. It’s the girl who doesn’t try too hard and is somehow just so effortlessly alluring. It’s leaning into your masculine side, while unmistakably embodying the raw essence of femininity. It’s that tension, between masculine and feminine, between pushing you away and drawing you close, it’s a polarity and conflict between two extremes. It’s sexy without trying to be. All in all I think this is a beautiful fragrance, and while I’m sad they’ve discontinued it, I’ll continue to repurchase this for as long as I can get my hands on it.

I got this fragrance as a gift after falling in love with a few other scents from this line. It stayed in the back of my collection for months, maybe even a year, before I decided to break it out this autumn and wear it. I've fallen in love with this fragrance. There's only three listed notes but it smells so complex and unique. It's got a creaminess from the sandalwood and a sweetness from the vanilla. It smells like a rootbeer float and then there's there's this woodiness underneath. The feeling this fragrance gives me is like running your fingers across pure silk. The creamy vanilla smells a bit milk like at times, and almost reminds me of the smell of the milk at the bottom of a cereal bowl. But in the least revolting way possible. It's absolutely gorgeous and this is something that I would consider a sexy fragrance. I would find this smell attractive on anyone, a man or a woman, but I can see how it might be a bit too sweet for those who are used to fresh and sporty fragrances. The sillage is potent but not offensive. The longevity is average of 4-6 hours, but it lasts longer on clothes. I've heard rumors that this fragrance is discontinued, and if that is true it is a real shame. I must buy backups and I also would like to try to find the other products in this fragrance (oil, hair mist, etc) and possibly even try layering this with other scents from the Elizabeth and James lineup, before they are gone for good. This isn't probably considered a "hidden gem" but it was to me for overlooking it for so long. If you haven't tried this scent and are thinking about it I highly recommend doing so it deserves all the recognition and praise it gets, and then some.

My first perfume. I refused to revisit it for years because I have such immature associations with Nirvana Black. That anxious buzz as I grabbed the box off the bottom shelf of Sephora’s perfume section. Waving off the saleswoman, pretending like I knew all about everything I’ve ever wanted, especially this perfume. Bought it without testing, and thank god it was so safe. $70 or so is a lot of money for an unemployed teen. Birthday money, or something. NB is utilitarian. It rises to the occasion, whatever the occasion may be; night at a cocktail lounge, or running errands in a slouchy, slightly stained Olsen-inspired getup. Projects lightly enough for you to smell it once in awhile, and for anyone else who gets close enough too. It’s an intimate, unfussy scent. Creamy woods and the persistent memory of BBW’s Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion on your mother’s skin 20 years ago. Wear it if you want something like the ubiquitous Glossier number, but are too principled and stuck-in-your-ways to buy a bottle of You. Wear it if you smoke cigarettes. Wear it if you’re 25 now but still dreaming about being an Olsen Twin. Or a Blair Waldorf. It’s an everyday, lived in kind of sexy. Shabby. Newly nostalgic enough to charm. (And don’t forget to pick up a bottle and of Nirvana White to layer it with during the summer, girlies!)