Nirvana Rose

I made a fragrantica account just so I could review this fragrance. I just bought a new 3.4 oz bottle for a heavily discounted price and cannot wait for it to arrive. I have an old rollerball from like 2017 that has long been used up, but I still kept it so I could huff the deliciously unique scent from time to time. I love the smell of fresh roses, but I am not a huge lover of rose perfumes because they tend to smell old ladyish or dated. This one is totally different, and I am honestly shocked that there are only 3 notes listed, because to me- the scent is so deep and complex. Deep, syrupy spiciness with a flash of rose. Yes, the opening is slightly medicinal. But not like actual medicine, menthol or cough syrup. It took me forever to figure out exactly what it reminded me of. When I was little and had a sore throat, my mom used to make me hot water with honey and lemon to drink. I would always add more honey. That last slightly thick sip of lemony honey water that is left at the bottom of the cup- warm, syrupy and super rich with the lemony honey. That is what the opening notes of this fragrance smell like to me. The depth and richness of real honey - not that cloying fake overly sweet honey note that is in so many fragrances. The note feels syrupy yet not too sweet, and ever so slightly astringent. I don't know how else to explain it. Then it is like a clean freshly cut rose, with greenery. The type of cool refreshing green floral smell you get when you walk into a high end florist shop, or when you bury your nose deep in an expensive bouquet of freshly cut roses. But really I don't think the rose is the star of this show. It is not overpowering or powdery or old lady at all. It is more there to freshen the syrupy thickness of the honey & lemon, and add some fresh floral greenery to the earthy darkness to follow. Then you start to smell the dark, warm, earthy spicyness. I still can't get over that this fragrance is only made of 3 notes. It just seems impossible to me. To my nose, it is definitely a freshly cut cedar wood with a slight hint of patchouli. And the wood is still slightly moist from being freshly cut, it's too wet to burn. Like a freshly cut piece of wood sitting outside on a dark patch of rain soaked soil on a cloudy day after a good rain. The air is still humid and everything is still damp. It never turns to a dry wood on my skin. To me, it is not overly dry at all like a lot of people are saying. In fact, I used to LOVEEEE Nirvana Black, like I could bathe in it and got so so many compliments on it, but that woody note was so overly "dry" that I used to get a headache after a few hours every time I'd wear it. This scent doesn't have that same headachy dryness. This dries down on me to a warm slightly earthy honey scent, with a touch of rose in the background. It is so so good with my chemistry. It somehow reminds me a bit of the old Shisedo Feminite Du Bois, if you added a touch of rose. That same spicy scent of freshly cut cedar. That frag also doesn't have patchouli, but it really feels like it's there in it's deep syrupy spiciness. The luscious deep ruby color of the bottle is perfectly matched to the feeling of this fragrance. It feels deep and dark and rich and syrupy (hate to keep using that word but IT FITS!) and much much more expensive than it's actual price tag. LOVE this perfume.

Ooo, lovely. So this scent seems to attract a lot of the 'ew, old lady stink' opprobrium on Sephora, which is where this retails. I understand what they intend by 'smells like old lady'...I associate that term with heavy, bitch-slap florals and the raging aldehydes, ie Chanel No 5 or Fracas, and the reason you associate it with old ladies is that the prevailing trend in perfume has admittedly moved away from those, whereas when today's old ladies were our age, that's what was in. I get that, but it's still insulting. First of all, what's wrong with old women? Lots of people never have the chance to get old. I bet they don't want to die young; they'll be happy if their daughters grow up to be old ladies. Stop asking for karma to pay you out by belittling getting old! Second, lots of women who aren't old still love 'old' fragrances. Lots of em' here on THIS site. Smart women! Okay, anyway. I loved Nirvana Rose. It DOES smell heavy and vintage. But it's an old lady who's hip as sh$&. It's a little mysterious and sultry and odd. The rose is not crisp, it still has stem and dirt on it, and it was plucked out of a dark, mossy forest bush. A man could wear this, and rose is not something that generally has 'man' written on it. You're out for a bike ride or a walk, and you turn down a street you never noticed before and at the end of the cul-de-sac is a very large Victorian house on a hill, or a house that looks a little like the Bates house. You just HAVE to go in for a closer look, so you get off your bike and climb the steps up the hill to the porch. On the porch rail is sitting a giant blue parrot wearing a vest and watch. He looks at the front door and you see it's open, so you know it's okay to go in. There's an owl sitting on the staircase rail whispering to a hedgehog and they shush up when they see you and the owl gestures you upstairs. Upstairs looks like a dank Victorian attic, dust floating in the sun shafts through the windows. There's mannequins wearing beautiful old coats and slung with pearls, stacks of old, old Louis Vuitton trunks and some old wood-and-iron school desks with portraits of Queen Victoria and similar contemporaries in ornate frames on the walls and leaning on stacks of old books with that distinctive old-library smell. Sitting at one desk is a red fox dressed like Mr Darcy, writing in a ledger, who eyeballs you for a minute then reaches into his desk, pulls out THIS bottle, and pushes it across the desk at you. You pick it up and he points to an old floor length mirror. You spray it on and when the mist settles you see in the mirror you now look like Lauren Bacall. Not old lady Lauren Bacall, young siren Lauren Bacall. Um, yes please. Look up photos, she was uber-hot and she was hot and classy till the end of her old lady days. The fox gestures for you to keep the bottle and waves you out. You leave the house and walk down the hill, and the animals watch you go. When you get to the street again, you turn around and the house looks old and empty again, and you are normal, un-sultry you again, BUT the bottle of Nirvana Rose is still in your pocket and you can be a hot 1940's bombshell again anytime you want now. That's what this smells like on me. Would totally buy this again. Go sample it and keep an open mind.

I truly do try to not review fragrances twice, but I have learned SO much about this precious perfume, I'm bursting to gush about it. If you dislike long reviews, skip it, this ain't for you. This damn perfume evokes so many incredible associations for me...it's poetry. The note list is absolutely dismissable, because there is so much happening here in great nuance. This is deeply gothic, a dry, spiced, prickly, and slightly bloody (yes, truly) rose. It's even a little musky, subtly sweaty, with the funkiness of green geranium (the geranium scent doesn't come from the blooms, it comes from the thick spongey leaves). Like a man you're attracted to on a chemical level who hasn't bathed. But, also it's *you*, and you smell beyond *pretty*, you smell like raw sexuality. It's both of you, and he's the type who makes rose oil from the hippy market his b*tch, and cares nothing for gendered stereotypes. It's you in an oversized flannel he wore over the weekend, without deodorant. Completely grunge. But the bloodiness...that's what prompted me most to re-review this. It took trying Parfums Quartana's Bloodflower to get it. Now, I can't shake it, and I'll be able to detect it in other perfumes too. Someone said "rose oxide" was the culprit for the blood accord (I'm nobody's perfumer, but I believe it). This also must contain it, because it smells oddly similar. Fear not though, because while Bloodflower is like the perfume equivalent of a horror movie (in a good way), Nirvana Rose is something more akin to The Crow - an anti-hero story with gothic overtones. Yes, violent. Yes, dark in tone. But also, deeply romantic and meaningful. A cult classic (as you can see from the reviews). I've had multiple messages inquiring of any possibility of me selling this, but it's irreplaceable to me, and I couldn't bear to. This is without a question, one of the most AWESOME perfumes I've ever smelled. It truly speaks to me. It reminds me of more than a few songs, and instead of depressing me, helps me lean into any angst, process things...keep fighting. Keep loving, even if I'm crushed. When roses get f*cked up, they release their finest fragrance. 🖤🥀

Jammy, Earthy & Dark ROSE-VETIVER... This opens with a burst of spicy & jammy rose that leans slightly MiddleEastern. It took me by surprise how jammy it is given the notes. The fruity aspects of vetiver increase the jamminess, while geranium here adds a lemon-y floral facet to the rose. As it's drying down the multi-faceted vetiver brings a darkness with earthy, woody, herbal, aromatic & fresh-spicy tones that altogether lean to cedar-patchouli to my nose. The performance is slightly above average, and better projection & sillage than I expected. I'm really enjoying this, and I really like this on its own, but for supercharged performance I like to layer over Roberto Cavalli Nero Assoluto. Overall: spicy, jammy, MiddleEastern leaning rose & vetiver scent with slightly above average performance. It's a love for me. Enjoy! Contrast to Stella Stella McCartney: These are different, but there are some similarities with a spicy rose that leans MiddleEastern. Nirvana Rose is jammier, while Stella Stella McCartney leans more to Nirvana White and has something that reads more like patchouli to my nose. Roughly equivalent performance. Update 05/23/25: Sprayed this on today. So, so good. The notes really don't do it justice imho. I get much more here than meets the eye: rose, pen ink, blueberry jam, incense, leather, geranium, pepper, powder, hint of soap, green stem, red wine, vetiver, incense, cardamom... If patchouli is in the mix, it's of the more soapy powdery variety, and I don't get any significant oud here, but the vetiver seems to have developed the rose in a similar way that oud does (I'm guessing which is why there's some oud-rose scents in the "reminds me of" section like Noir de Noir Tom Ford, Club de Nuit Intense Female, etc. although there's less truffle-leather here and more inky blueberries). It's fairly linear, but it does get a bit more leathery and less jammy as it dries down. Love it. A hidden gem.

At first, Nirvana Rose reminded me of my beloved Rose Flash, a jammy pure rose scent by Tauer. But as the Nirvana Rose developed on my skin, I noticed its darkness--not as bright, sweet-tart, and citrussy a rose as I'm used to. This smells more like a single, slightly blowsy rose that someone might carry to a ritual sacrifice in a mossy forest. I could swear I smell a little smoke, too, but maybe that's just the vetiver. To me vetiver is a complex scent, like patchouli, that I seem to enjoy only in certain combinations, at certain concentrations. I'm not sure I will wear this very often, but I got a great deal on the rollerball, which is a way I like to use fragrance (compact, less waste, more portability). I reapplied after a while, and I really get a strong cedar-shaving smell, which I like, although it's not listed; maybe my brain is confusing the vetiver and geranium combo as cedar? I'm really enjoying this. The aromatic accord is sort of mentholated, and it reminds me the tiniest bit of smoke from a menthol cigarette, only not in a gross, stale way. This is unusual and immediately distinctive; a friend put some on with the rollerball, and I could smell it from several feet away; I knew that she had applied some even though I wasn't looking in her direction at the time. I won't lie, it does give a bit of Hall's Mentholated Cough Drop, especially for the first hour or so, but I kind of like that; it contrasts bewitchingly with the tobacco and vetiver notes. I love it more and more, and it's a pity that it was discontinued. Update: I bought a backup bottle just in case, since all I had was the rollerball version. The price was low, and the flasklike or Zippo-like marcasite-looking bottle is so gorgeous to me that it seemed worth it. Great job, weird little Olsen twins!

I’m obsessed. Found my sample of this from years ago and gave it another try. I think when I first sampled it I rated it as neutral or just ok & tossed it in the sample drawer, forgotten. But this time around each time I wore it I started to like it more and more. I had to wear it 3 different times before I decided that I love it, I need it, and proceeded to go online & buy multiple rollerballs since that’s about all you can find anymore. It’s perfect for October, I feel like Maleficent when I wear it. I picture Sleeping Beauty asleep in her castle surrounded by a thorny briar rose patch & the prince is slicing his way through to rescue her. Love love love. It’s hard for me to believe that there are only the three ingredients listed in it as it seems more complex. Many commenters saying it’s patchouli which maybe it is, not sure. I typically don’t like patchouli forward scents but if the patchouli blend is done right it can be amazing so perhaps that’s what this is. It would explain why I don’t like the opening much, it’s just a bit too spicy and funky. But if you wait a bit it transforms into a beautiful woody velvety rose. Lasts hours too, the rose didn’t fade until over 8 hours & after the rose fades there is still a woody & slightly spicy scent that lingers that I don’t love as much without the rose (could be the patchouli) but it’s not terrible. Edit to add: if you’re looking for a replacement, I just sampled Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia and after about 30 minutes it REALLY started smelling like this. It’s not even a primary rose scent but they must use the same kind of dark boozy rose, and that kind of rose is very prominent on me.

Aww! I love this. It's described as "dark", but to me it's 'dense' respectively, I don’t get much darkness, and it's nearly the opposite for me. A tribute to growth and daytime. The opening can be a little medicinal, I see where people are coming from. I'd have guessed this contains a bit of pink pepper or something too, alongside the obvious geranium. I cannot believe how strikingly accurate that geranium is too...smells just like the essential oil. Fresh, a little roselike itself, and distinct. So much is done with just 3 (alleged) notes. This fares well in winter air, which is always impressive. However, I'm itching to try it on a muggy late spring day after a rain...when the plants are flourishing outside...it's going to be remarkable 🥰 This is a weird thing to say, but to me this smells illustrations in Beatrix Potter books. I flipped through some tonight to figure out which specifically, but all of Tom Kitten (particularly page 23) is exactly it. A fresh, English rose garden with maybe some pepper from Mama Cat's kitchen, alongside damp, fresh earth (vetiver speaking), and lush geraniums nearby. Beautifully overgrown garden walls. With the crazily varied reviews I truly didn't know what to expect, but I'm glad I sampled this. I might need to consider purchasing! *edit I did purchase, and it's shocking to me how in winter, it reads to me as vital, warm, and spring-like. In spring now (6/1), it's spicy, deep, dark rose. It almost takes on the opposite character of whichever end of the seasonable spectrum you're in. I'm not sure if I know of a fragrance that does this quite so much.

I had the opportunity to test most of the Elizabeth & James fragrances. I went into the experience expecting Nirvana Amethyst to be my favorite, but surprisingly Nirvana Rose is easily the best of the bunch. As the name implies, rose is the heart of the fragrance. The geranium note gives it an herbal, masculine nuance. The vetiver note grants the whole composition a dry, ashy quality. The result is an dark, dusty, dried rose. Almost like a rose cigarette. I imagine this appealing to brooding, darkly clad goth girls or those who want to cultivate that aura. It would make a great masculine as well, this is very unisex. Rose has been traditionally used in women's perfumery but times are changing. The niche market is flooded with unisex oud + rose fragrances and perhaps the designer world is beginning to follow suit. I think this rose + vetiver fragrance is a softer, unique spin on this idea. Had the line been advertised as unisex, perhaps it would have been a success. A shame it's been discontinued. The longevity is good, about 6-7 hours for me. I've decided I'm snapping up a full bottle of this ASAP. I don't normally make up my mind this quickly, but I know I will regret it if I put it off. It's a fantastic, unique rose and it's extremely affordable right now. If you haven't tested the Nirvanas, you should. I ended up not much caring for any of the other perfumes in this line (French Grey and Amethyst smell okay), but right now they're going for peanuts. Maybe you'll fall in love.

I found this at Marshall’s a while back and at first I was unsure. I think I wrote a previous review saying it felt very gothic etc. I liked it, but was afraid to be too daring with his fragrance at the time and would only put a tiny bit on my wrist. My husband and I went on our mountain trip for our birthdays which are both in October and I decided to take a chance and actually REALLY wear this perfume. I usually spray my clothes and all the usual perfume spots. He said “what is that? It smells so good!” but then he said “it smells older and classic but not in a bad way.. like a very good way” LOL .... He ended up describing things that were very dark academia vibes (which I love!) and I was like omg yesss! I was so surprised. Once you let this dry down after the initial burst it really does smell amazing. I love the herbalist/rosy smell. I usually never wear rose forward perfumes. It’s aeromatic in the best way and was perfect for a cool October date! I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrists and I kept getting wafts of it through the night. This made me realize I need to not be so cautious with bold and unique scents because this is one of my favorites now. I am so bummed it’s discontinued. Idk that any of the other similar ones listed will really do it justice or be that close.. I am seeing a lot of the other similar perfumes have patchouli listed and I don’t want that. I love this one exactly how it is. I might just have to buy a few online to have for a while.

It's a crime this has been discontinued, one of the most unique rose scents on the market. The opening blasts you in the first 10 minutes and it feels like an overwhelmingly geranium grandmother perfume, but within that 10 minute period it settles down close to the skin and reveals a smoky rose with that intoxicating velvety vetiver base. It's not overly complicated, but it doesn't need to be - it's dark and sexy, like black lace crop tops and deep purple matte lipstick in perfume form. The drydown reminds me of Tom Ford Noir back at its original launch before the endless reformulations and the chemical headache it gives me now. Nothing about this rose says flower garden, unless it's one of those all-black flowers and toxic plants garden, or a rose garden in overgrown iron-wrought fence visited only at the witching hour. Drawbacks are it doesn't project far and the sillage is pretty low, which is A-okay by me because rose can be a big headache trigger for others. It doesn't last forever and ever, but for the price point and how lovely the scent is I think it's a very good value. I like to wear the rollerball oil version on rainy evenings at home. As a side note, I get absolutely no patchouli (which I hate) from this scent, and the designer does not list patchouli as a note featured in this. I feel like people in the reviews are mistaking the very strong vetiver backbone for patchouli.

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen released the Elizabeth and James lifestyle brand to what seems to be little fanfare and diminishing returns, as this beautiful number is in markdown purgatory, but man, one of the most lovely 'cheapies' I laid my nares on. Nirvana Rose leans masculine but is of course unisex (as you should know all perfumes are) but could be worn by woman with panache. There is a trinity of rose, geranium, and vetiver and that's exactly what I discern here (besides perhaps a bit of Iso E Super or Timbersilk). In spite of its minimalism, Nirvana Rose is full-bodied and showcases the tints rather than the shades of each note; the damascones of rose, the geraniol of geranium, and the vetiverol of vetiver. No pastel here, my friends—we have here a dark crimson, so the bottle color I'd say was probably a good choice. The feel is aqueous, lush, and earthy, like I'm in the midst of pruning a rose garden on a dewy, damp June day. That said, this is appropriate for year round wear. The dry down isn't so dry: more so a wet grass vetiver which is a great diversion from the many dry interpretations of this beloved aromatic raceme. Yes, this was blended so nicely and doesn't wear out its welcome and nag you for hours; it's the perfect longevity. Truth be told, this is one of my favorite roses. Who woulda thunk? I tip my hat to you two fashionista twinsies!

I thought I had already reviewed this! Turns out, I didn't, and that's probably a good thing, since I just upgraded this from a like to a love. I have all of the Nirvanas, with the exception of Bourbon. I initially thought Amethyst was my favorite, but a recent wearing didn't quite measure up. I actually found it cloying. The good thing about this series is that they work very well together when layered, so I will play around to see if it's worth holding on to. While French Grey is the most "niche" and unique of the bunch, Rose has really captured my attention and my heart. I think it's what vampires wear when they try to seduce their prey and each other! I've always had the soul of a goth, or perhaps a Romantic, in the artistic and literary sense. The cooler weather brings out a richness even as it remains dusty and like faded roses. There is something somewhat spicy in it as well. I find it hard to believe it was composed of only three notes! Halloween will be here in two days. I know what I will be wearing! With that said, don't dismiss this as a scent only for those of us who love the color black. It really is sensual and seductive, and a wonderful perfume for nights full of mystery and potential. Oh to be young and immortal!! PS - turns out I did previously review this. Oh well - guess I had more to say!! 😁

Review is for my own reference - I like this perfume, I think it would make such a beautiful bath oil. It reminds me a LOT of Stella McCartney's Stella perfume. I loved that perfume, but the longevity is very poor so I returned it. It also reminds me of a tinnie tiny bit of Black XS by Paco Robban, ummm yummy! If you don't love rose scents I would stay away from this as I basically only smell rose. I think it's good for the colder months day or night. I wouldn't buy it because it is just too basic unless it was like $10 a bottle. I might keep a small bottle if gifted to me bc it does have the calming, relaxing, and pretty rose effect, but wouldn't purchase it myself I might give away the sample. A lot of other companies could do the same. The price is okay, but not great at $40 for 50ml on discount sites. Nothing super special or unique about it, but it was a safe perfume for the company to put out. It's not a heavy hitter like Bourbon. After about an hour it's slightly less sweet and I think this would be sexy on a man too It's lasted longer than I thought it would at 12+ hours, although very light on skin, which makes me like it even more! changing vote to love, bc this would be great to layer with other scents

This is a dirty, earthy rose. I don't necessarily think it smells bad.. but I mostly get a nature-like smell. Very realistic dirt & floral (more so the leaves/stems) smell. Its spicy and in a weird way I find it nice sometimes.... but more often than not, I find it very strong and overpowering. Very masculine. This makes me think of someone pulling up roses out of the wet soil on a gloomy rainy morning... in the cemetery. A gothic rose if you will.... lol. I don't want to say I don't like it.. but maybe I just can't pull this off. I sprayed this on my wrist and find myself sniffing my wrist, but don't know if I would actually wear this out. Idk how to really explain my feelings towards this. I'm too scared to spray it all over my clothes like I would normally with my other perfumes Lol. I keep trying to think of other perfumes that I could potentially layer with it? idk if there are any. Overall I think this is worth trying if you stumble across it at Tj max like I did, but you should have an open mind and just know that it may not be for you, you may love it, OR you may feel indifferent like I do.

This is a velvety red rose wrapped in dense greenery. It's quite linear and not overly complex, but in my estimation, it's perfect. Gorgeous vetiver envelops this gothic rose, and geranium brings an aromatic, fresh-spicy feeling. There is a sense of both bloom and decay. This is not jammy, sweet, or powdery... it is deep and dark, herbal, rich. You can't help but imagine roses creeping up the stone wall of an abandoned castle. It has a kind of dark woodiness that I can't quite place... cedar? And a slightly astringent herbal, gin-like quality. Almost along the vein of rosemary steeped in alcohol. From the way i've decribed it, you may wonder why I am so enamoured. I can't really quite explain why exactly, but there's just something very natural, dark, and brooding about this scent. It's mysterious and evokes a mythical atmosphere of vampires and dark romance. This is a true unisex wonder. Such a shame that it is discontinued, I will treasure the little that I have.

Oh. My. There are fragrances you like, and then there are fragrances you become obsessed with. This is it for me. I read where someone described this fragrance as what Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights would smell like and it's 100% accurate. This is what a broody, gothic romance novel hero would smell like. I am a lover of all things Victorian, gothic, vintage, and this perfume fits that aesthetic perfectly. I will say I do find it a bit masculine, when I sprayed it my husband commented the same, but I have no issue wearing it myself and will be searching for another bottle already. This would be SO sexy on a man though. Like, insanely. The opening is strong with the geranium and rose but the dry down is all about the vetiver. This is pretty strong perfume as well, one spray fills a room and it lasts for hours. This is a gorgeous scent and smelling it just takes me to the moors in Cornwall on an overcast, windy day.

To preface this so people get the right idea, I dislike Nina Ricci Rose Extase, on the fence about Lancome Midnight Rose, and I hate a prim soapy English rose. Rose Jam is just okay, a braided ingenue type of pretty, but for a while I've wanted something that just smells straight up poisonous. An "everyday siren" kind of rose fragrance. Yep, this satisfied my requirements. No, I'm not very experienced with rose, I haven't smelled the likes of POAL or Delina, but for now, this has just what I need. The blackened femme fatale glory many fragheads covet for a rose. And I promise you it's not just the effect of the aesthetic (looking at you "gothic" Crystal Noir), although the bottle is beautiful and luxurious. The sillage and performance are not wimpy, not a powerhouse but packs a good punch. For the inexpensive price this is a WINNER. Maybe Rose Nirvana is my signature scent. We'll see :)

I love this with all my heart. I bought this years ago from a department store at the mall. I was looking to buy more and I was SO upset when I learned it was discontinued. Now it’s thrown me headfirst into the fragrance world, trying to figure out what notes I like. This smells sultry, deep, and like a garden in its entirety. It smells like a flower and the soil. The rose is beautiful, but smells like no other rose I’ve tested since. It’s sexy and crisp. Not smoky, maybe just a hint. Like trimming the roses in your glass greenhouse in the evening. A breeze coming through the window. A leftover cigar from yesterday still in the ashtray. I’d consider it unisex, as that’s something I like about it. I don’t feel super feminine wearing it. I’ve received compliments on it when hugging people hello or goodbye. I haven’t smelled anything else this intoxicating. RIP Nirvana Rose

This smells like a rich green rose. I do not care for the opening , but within a few minutes the most beautiful ROSE really shines. It is big ,bold and very green and earthy. I wear it with an open back dress in the evening, it makes my spine straight and demands respect. Not a fruity rose but a sharp rose aroma. I would not call it goth, it is not dark, not heavy, not dusty, it is just a luminous rose with a lot of greenery around it. I love to wear it in the summer evenings. I would summarize it as a geranium and rose, I have both in my garden and this perfume smells like exactly those two plants, geranium makes it a little bitter and bolder. Fantastic rose in my opinion, the rose itself reminds me of Serge Lutens “ Girl from Berlin” , only the rose note, so bright, bold and cold. It is not mudded or overshadowed by any other note.

Sprayed this on today. So, so good. The notes really don't do it justice imho. I get much more here than meets the eye: rose, pen ink, blueberry jam, incense, leather, geranium, pepper, powder, hint of soap, green stem, red wine, vetiver, incense, cardamom... If patchouli is in the mix, it's of the more soapy powdery variety, and I don't get any significant oud here, but the vetiver seems to have developed the rose in a similar way that oud does (I'm guessing which is why there's some oud-rose scents in the "reminds me of" section like Noir de Noir Tom Ford, Club de Nuit Intense Female, etc. although there's less truffle-leather here and more inky blueberries). It's fairly linear, but it does get a bit more leathery and less jammy as it dries down. Love it. A hidden gem. Original review 09/28/23.

Nirvana Rose was a blind buy purchase as I found it at an extremely discounted rate ($14.99) at my local Marshall's. I own nothing like this scent. It's dark and smokey and slightly standoffish. I imagine this is the kind of perfume you share with your s/o when you're in your bad boy phase. It's very unisex and grounded. That being said, I love it. It opens up very medicinally to me, herbaceous and grassy, shocking, but the dry down is positively lovely. The rose and minty geranium really support the herbaceous smokey scent adding in a delicate play. It's satisfying like that first smile your bad boy cracks at you from across the room. Very unique and definitely a scent I would reach for night time outings. A scent I would pair with a bold eyeliner look and a mood to break the rules.

Lovely dark woody rose...what I like about this is the way the rose doesn't smell fresh cut and dewy, but to me quite concentrated, like it's been preserved by boiling down roses, stems,leaves and all, until the water is blood red and thick, syrupy. (I'm sure if you actually tried to do that you would probably just get a pot of brown water that smelled of compost. But ya know what I mean) nothing wrong with a fresh from the garden spring rose, but if I need that, the Tea Rose is right on the next shelf. No, here there's an earthiness, and just enough spicy-sweetness that it borders on oppressive and makes me pretty wary of over spraying. I wear this when I have someone to intimidate, when I want to be listened to but not necessarily liked.

A beautiful rose bomb! I love rosie scents, but sometimes they go a little powdery or soapy on me. Not this! It's a green rose, of that makes sense. I guess I'd say it's like the rose petals combined with the stems and leaves. It reminds me of my parents rose garden when I was little. It's kinda like nirvana black got hit with roses. It also layers well with the black and white versions, though I like all of them on their own too. One thing to note: It's also strong and long lasting, at least on me. No reapplying this one. It stays on till I shower and it lingers on my clothes till they go in the wash. I literally sprayed some of this on my hairbrush over a year ago and I still get whiffs of it even after regular use and washing and all!

Never have I ever worn a perfume that was so complimented. I had a lot of doctor appointments and never had so many nurses, even doctors asking what my perfume was...go fill a prescription and get stopped by other shoppers...pay for gas inside the station, and get compliments there...everywhere, really. So dark, mysterious and sexy. The sillage is really good. I always layer it with Fleur Fatale by KKW, another rose perfume, over tea rose body butter. The combination really is stunning. I have 3 bottles and multiple roller balls of Nirvana Rose and will be so very sad when it's gone. Can only find roller balls now. 🫤 All the Elizabeth and James perfumes are discontinued. Such a terrible shame. This one was, by far, the very best.

This scent is an earthy rose. I think these E &Js tended to get overlooked because they were a little different and the opening is harsh. Now everything has been reformulated in oblivion, these are smelling like the Crown Jewels because everything current is reformulated often more than once a year. So, this being a relatively affordable perfume that is older...it’s like wow this is the bottom tier of what we used to have. Now smells nice and expensive because it likely has banned ingredients. Banned ingredients may have been what killed this line. The perfumes are bold and make a statement. They also last. Highly recommend if you love rose, but not powdery or sweet. An unapologetic rose that I’m afraid couldn’t be made anymore.

To me, Nirvana Rose is one of the most underrated fragrances out there. The notes are simple but the fragrance is deep. It's a rose forward scent that somehow manages to stay youthful and not heady. The vetiver adds a subtle earthy sweetness and the geranium adds a slightly sour note. It's a linear scent that doesn't change much from opening to dry down, which I appreciate. More of a sexy evening or fall/winter scent with great sillage and longevity. The best thing about it is, because of the minimal notes, it can easily be layered with other fragrances. I get the most compliments while wearing Nirvana Rose when I use it to add depth to vanilla or amber fragrances, especially Ambre Narguile. You need to try it!

This is intoxicating to me. A medicinal rose with a clean edge. It's dark and melancholy, yet so beautiful. It reminds me of the time period right after autumnal leaf-fall where trees are barren, yet the scent of the dry and crispy leaves upon the forest floor emanate their earthiness. I know this doesn't have much to do with roses, but that's what I get from the scent. :) I don't really see this being a scent I'd choose in the summertime, however, I can see early spring, when nights are still cool. Might become smothering in hot weather although it is not a heavy scent in and of itself, but it is heavy in feeling. I'll probably still give it a try! Smells amazing paired with Diamonds & Rubies.

Aside from performance, this is the best rose fragrance that I’ve come across in the unisex/masculine side. It’s a darker rose that’s sweet but not candy like and the vetiver pulls it to being more masculine. Performance is moderate, I’d say about 5hours but it’s kinda a skin scent the last one or two. Just spray heavy and on clothing to make it last. It seems that there may be production issues with this since I no idea how someone could get “tomato” or “pickle juice” from this. I suggest you stay away from the rollerball version of this and any other frag. The ball will pick up dirt, oils, and particles off your skin and draw them into the vial, causing the perfume to oxidize or “turn”.

In January 2022 I blind bought this and expected nothing special. As with all total blind buys, and there aren't many, I told myself I'd return it if I didn't like it. Let's just say not only did I like it but I love it and I bought another bottle within a month just to have a back up. This is coming from a non-rose lover who is delighted that this rose is earthy, grounded, natural, and herbal. The vetiver and geranium also make it unisex. It reminds me of a cologne worn by a lover, something that I find both sad and comforting. Nirvana Rose is in fact, balanced. It's both dark and light, sweet and savory, day and night. It lives up to its name.

I just love it... I tend to only like niche perfume brands, this is the only designer brand that I love so much. Maybe I'm a snob, or just biais but for me designer fragrance are often the "LIPTONS" of perfumes; (just ok, made to please a wide range of customers). I absolutely love the geranium in it, (it's my favorite essential oil, try it in your diffuser it's magical). This perfume is first a rose, a fresh and spicy rose, not an oriental one, something clean and sparkly, a rose champagne with beautiful geranium notes. I also got so much compliments on it. To me it's modern, not ostentatious, delicate and pleasant.

This is beautiful, and “gothic rose” is the perfect way to describe it—it definitely sets a mood. This is something you wear while reading an Anne Rice novel or if you’re attending a Halloween party, but it’s nothing campy. It is elegant and sophisticated. I have the beloved Stella, which is the classiest smelling rose-forward fragrance for me, and this is her denser, richer and more robust sister. Stella is for Spring/Summer and Nirvana Rose is for Fall/Winter. So sad they’re both discontinued. Hopefully I can find a bigger bottle of this. I only have a mini so far.

Nirvana Rose has an addictive mentholated note (some aspect of the geranium, rose, or vetiver--I sense that the list is deliberately incomplete) that I was craving today, despite the appalling heat. Ordinarily I would not want to wear something this gothic in 100-degree weather, but that slightly medicinal herbal note has a cooling effect somehow, like some kind of olfactory forest bath. I wish this line had not been discontinued--I'm also very fond of French Grey and Nirvana Black. The bottles are impossibly beautiful, too, like bejeweled flasks or cigarette cases.

This is by far the earthiest perfume I own. It has some magic! If you are a straight up MAGE with a cape and cowl you wear this. If Sherlock Holmes sprays on Stella perfume then smokes his pipe and goes out to solve a mystery he smells of Nirvana Rose when he gets home. Totally unisex...I think I’m in love with the geranium! Why does my nose sense something metallic as well? After an hour there is almost no rose left in this for me, but has a unique character I would classify as woody/smoky/dirt-ish. Not dirty as in unwashed but like earth. Beautiful.

This scent is amazing! Unisex rose, somehow watery and earthy but dark rose. Very sexy! Complains: 1. the bottle is very unstable so i have to keep it inside the box (pretty for nothing...) 2. It is a pitty that the sillage and longevity are so poor. As soon as you spray it, it is loud, but potency makes some sort of emergency landing and soon it is no longer detectable unless you are near. (I've already bought a back up since now it's so affordable and soon i'm sure the prices will go up up.) Scent: 10/10 Performance: 5/10

If you're looking for something intensely gothic to compliment a very dark sense of style that isn't try-hard in any way (no spider webs or skulls on the bottle, no names like Satan's Evil Hell Potion etc. etc.) this hit that nail directly on the head for me. Conjures up a very grim, deathly kind of mood seemingly without even trying. Old somber rose, damp, wet earthy vetiver, it just smells to me like what someone very, very scary might smell like. Maybe it's just my imagination running wild but I love it in any case!

Nirvana Rose is my favorite Nirvana...as a line, I really liked these. It's a shame that they are discontinued. This is fresh, wet, and grassy with a velvety/spicy rose at the center. It is hot here in Southern California right now and there is something cooling about this in warm weather. Maybe it's because it reminds me of damp, gloomy weather. This makes me wanna listen to Bauhaus, The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees...I love it. I wear this all the time, but I love rose forward scents (and vetiver). Good stuff.

This is not your garden party rose. Nirvana Rose is dark, woody, spicy and entirely unisex. The scent doesn’t evolve much on my skin, but the intriguing combination of rose and vetiver is long lasting with wonderful sillage. The notes list is deceptively simple- whether they’re actual ingredients or not, I can pick up on facets of cedar, birch tar or smoke, geosmin, and a bitter hint of citrus rind. Perfect for nights at a jazz club on a velvet chaise, not ideal for sunny walks in cotton dresses.

I feel so grown up and mature when I wear this juice. I have grown to love the Nirvana line more and more, each time I wear it. Rose is a beast and has great projection and longevity and people always ask what I am wearing when I go by. I recently had a conversation about Nirvana with a client at work and it was so fun to connect with someone on a scent. I love it. The rose is strong and grungy but not overpowering as it is harnessed by the geranium and earthy vetiver. I love this.

i wish i discovered this before! it's something i think nancy from the craft would wear. it's a dark, gloomy, gothic, sexy, witchy-type of scent. and hear me out... if you've ever smelled ebony wood by zara x jo malone, i'd say these two are siblings lol. longevity is okay on me (up to 5 hours). second favorite of the E&J brand. i'd rate this a 5/5. just bought myself a second bottle at TJ Maxx today for $17 (it was hard to find ugh!) PLEASE make more fragrances!!

Definitely became an instant favorite for me! Its a really unique warm scent. It really seems unisex for me, after the dry-down. When its first on the skin there’s a dewy, full bodied rose scent. After the dry down you get the warmth of the vetiver. The geranium is hardly detectable to me. This scent isn’t sugary sweet, its not powdery, its not mature. It’s a fresh, aromatic, modern, unisex take on roses. It reminds me just a bit of fresh soil.

This stuff is SO good!! Don't let the "Mary Kate and Ashley" scare you away because this is an excellent rose fragrance! It reminds me a bit of JM Tudor Rose and Amber combined with a dash of Rose Noir by Byredo and a smidge of Rose of No Man's Land and Voleur de Roses. It does NOT smell cheap at all. This is probably the best under $100 rose fragrance I've ever tried (if you like dark sort of gothic roses). God I love this stuff!!

A vetiver tree with geranium leaves and rose blooms, forgotten in a barren forest. Dark, heavy, gloomy with a peak at hope. Did someone say Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights? Perfect! For the adventurous, tortured man or woman. I had to get better with vetiver before loving this; before, I only tolerated vetiver and Nirvana was likeable, affordable, well done. Now it's a plush, dark red, woody rose.

I find that a lot of rose fragrances can be one-dimensional, in the way that they try to project this really young and romantic image of a rose flower. Thankfully, Nirvana Rose remembers that roses have thorns. While I don't find this fragrance as gothic as others seem to, I do agree that there's a dark, intense quality to it. This is a really sensual and bold fragrance to me, and I like it a lot.

Nirvana Rose is a beautiful dark woody rose and I am heartbroken that it’s discontinued. I was able to get my hands on the 1 oz bottle at TJ Maxx a few years ago for $20. I have found a 1.7 oz bottle on eBay and I am happy to have it in my collection where I will now only use it for special occasions. It would be interesting if the Olsen Twins would release fragrances for their The Row brand.

If you're a rose lover, you need to hunt down a bottle of this ASAP. It's such a shame they discontinued this because it's one of my all time favorite roses. The touch of vetiver compliments the rose so nicely. It's irresistible any time of the year for me. Gives off cool girl vibes - that girl you idolized who always smelled amazing? This is her. I hope to never run out!

Gorgeous fresh sensual dark rose. Elegantly mature without being old. No candied babyish sweets. Rich voluptuously floral, fresh yet sexy, clean but not soapy, earthy but not dirty. Restrained spicy woods. Quietly Confident without being loud or brash. Very sophisticated sultriness. That is how it wears on my skin. This is a full length, black, haute couture evening gown.

I am so sad to learn this has been discontinued! This is hands down my go to rose fragrance for the Fall and Winter. Full bodied and definitely rose, but deep, sultry and spicey. This perfume is so sexy and while some may find the spicey masculine to me this is a truly feminine perfume. If you love rose and bolder scents, buy this if you are able!

I don't normally enjoy rose fragrances, but this is like Morticia Adams and Stevie Nicks collaborated - a perfect rainy day rose. Not the ruffly roses from Harlequin novel covers, but the roses picked fresh from old bushes on a gothic estate, then placed in the crypt of a forbidden love. Rose, but also wet earth and stone. Camphor. Grass. Sorrow.

This is a nice perfume. It's almost identical to Stella McCartney, which I love, but the opening reminded me of Matiere's Radical Rose, where the rose is a little turkish delight-esque. If you already have Stella McCartney or Radical Rose, you don't need this. It would be a good cheaper alternative though, if you're running out.

Oh My, this smells soooo much like my forever beloved Stella by Stella McCartney, but the older release (2003)!! The older 2003 Stella is drier, woodier, not as sweet as the newer, 2014 release, so this Nirvana Rose is 90% identical to my nose (bit sharper). I am SURPRISED to say the least! In total awe