August 12, 2016

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose A Wearable, Mysterious Rose Fragrance

PR Sample / Affiliate
This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon and Nirvana Rose

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose is one of two new perfumes that launched for the Fall 2016 season under Ashley and Mary Kate Olsen’s creative direction. I spoke to you yesterday about the new Nirvana Bourbon and I must admit that Nirvana Rose is likely my favorite of the two.

Let’s find out why.

Apologies for the promo images used in this post but I don’t have the actual bottle available to take photos of.

Rose is a note I like very much! It tends to go candy on my body chemistry so, the note isn’t a cloying floral one on my skin but has more of a playful sweetness. I think rose is commonly disliked though because people associate it with their elderly aunt or grandmother at times. But there are fragrances out there that take the note and create beautiful blends with it. Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose is one of those blends.

Unlike Nirvana Bourbon, I don’t think Nirvana Rose is a unisex blend, this is a fine feminine fragrance. It does contain notes of geranium which I commonly associate with masculine fragrances but this note only acts to add dept and complexity.

For me, this smells like walking through a rose garden on a warm, humid night after a rain storm. Rose permeates the air but there’s also a touch of wet, dewiness that clings to the grass and a tiny hint of drenched ceder in the background. The interesting thing about both this scent and Nirvana Bourbon is the fact at first mist you never get an alcohol note. The fragrance delves right into the notes and they immediately hit you in the face. I recently misted myself with a brand new fragrance from a very high end brand that shall remain nameless and I was terribly disappointed that the first thing I smelled was alcohol. Nirvana Rose jumps right into its notes and only gains more momentum at the dry down. There’s no waiting for that beautiful fragrance gratification, you’ll get it right away at first mist. The unusual aspect of the blend is it manages to retain all its notes from first spray to dry down. Rose only plays one important role in this fragrance. The complexity of the fragrance comes from the other notes of geranium and vetiver which add sultriness. Rose alone can be cloying but rose with geranium and vetiver is pure mysterious and old Hollywood glamour. Surely this is a fragrance that Fay Wray would happily mist herself with.

I liked Nirvana Bourbon but I love Nirvana Rose. This is the complex mysterious roses I tend to lean towards! It’s a scent that makes rose very wearable and utterly sexy.

Elizabeth and James Nirvana Rose is available now at Sephora.com and will launch at other retailers for the Spring 2017 season.

Have you smelled it yet?

What are your impressions?

Do share!

PR Sample / Affiliate
This was provided to me by a brand for review and I receive a small commission if you shop using the links in this post but all opinions are my own.

About the Muse

Isabella MuseIsabella is just an average everyday geeky girl who doesn’t blend her eyeshadow correctly, wears too much blush, and hopes she never finds her holy grail products because she likes the thrill of the chase so much. Her mission is to bring you super honest reviews on makeup, skincare, fragrance and all things beauty. She’s in no way an expert on the topic and she sure as hell isn’t a super model. But she’s passionate about makeup and is seeking like-minded individuals that like pina coladas, getting caught in the rain, and ones that enjoy spending hundreds of dollars at Sephora without feeling buyer’s remorse. If you’re that person feel free to reach out and leave a comment or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Bloglovin‘.

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Comments

  • Jennifer

    I love the Nirvana Black and White. I think I like the Black just a tad better. I am not one for celebrity fragrances, but the Olsen twins knocked it out of the park on the Black and White. Imo, they are comparable to higher end fragrances.
    I can’t wait to try these 2 new scents, escpecially the Bourbon.

    • Isabella Muse

      I think the Olsens have come a long way! These are def niche fragrances with a high end feel 😀 I’m loving the Rose best but Bourbon gets it right too! 😀

  • kellly

    I wish Bourbon actually smelled like Bourbon. That would be more appealing to my strange sense of what fragrances I like. . . . oh well. I’m sticking with my tobacco until something else I like more comes along.

  • Lauren

    Your descriptions intrigue me! I love a good non-traditional rose. My understanding was that Nirvana White and Black were also meant to be worn together as well, is the same true for Bourbon and Rose? Maybe that can be your third installment in the series?

  • Fey

    I finally got to try the Vanilla Bourbon. I was disappointed that it was not as much as a niche fragrance in terms of the use of more unusual notes. I was expecting a bit of a boozy or black vanilla, maybe like BPAL’s Snake Oil. I wish the initial woody notes stuck with the vanilla but they faded on me around 5 minutes. The vanilla itself is a standard sweet, pure, clean vanilla. It’s not bad and it lasted around 6 hours on me, sticking close to the skin. I really enjoyed Black and White. I think I’ll find a sample of the Rose even though I’m not a big rose person. I agree that there is never that alcohol smell upon initial spray!

    • Isabella Muse

      Really? It felt very niche to me! But, no offense, I’m grateful it wasn’t like Snake Oil, I’m not a fan! Try Nirvana Rose instead, I liked it a lot better! I think the fact it doesn’t smell like alcohol is terribly interesting and a showcase for the quality of the juice!