Nirvana Black by Elizabeth and James

Nirvana Black was one of the Elizabeth and James fragrance releases back in 2013. It’s been a while since I’ve had this one around, never wrote a full review of it, and decided that I should get a sample to do so. How does this Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen scent perform? How long does it last? Is it worth a buy?

What does Nirvana Black Smell Like?

Notes include: violet, sandalwood, and vanilla

Click here to try: Elizabeth & James Nirvana Black Edp Spray Womens Perfume Nib, 1.0 Ounce 

My Full Review

Let’s see how this one is described: Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black is an addictive blend of alluring violet, sensual sandalwood, and rich vanilla that strike the perfect balance between masculine and feminine.

Nirvana Black opens up with a sweet blend of vanilla and violet. The violet note here is less of a dirty/earthy aroma and more toward the powdery side of the equation. These two come together with an air of smokiness surrounding them.

The early stages are where the violet is going to come through the most. It’s honestly not one of my favorite floral notes, but I really like it within this composition. It comes across as dark and a bit candied when paired with the vanilla.

As it moves along, Nirvana Black starts to get woodier with the sandalwood coming into its own. Very fresh, with a smokiness. I’m pretty sure the vanilla here is the Bourbon vanilla, found in the other Elizabeth and James fragrance, as it does add to that quality.

The final dry down is a powdery and slightly creamy aroma, as all of the notes have fully developed. Others seem to get more of a musky finish with Nirvana Black. On my skin, that doesn’t really come across. Sure, some is present, just most of it is our three main ingredients.

Nirvana Black isn’t highly complicated, which isn’t a bad thing, as this one delivers a great experience.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage with Black isn’t huge, pretty standard issue and middle of the road for me. It hangs around nicely and it can project itself somewhat, but it’s not a monster.

Initially, it actually projects pretty far and casts a decent radius around the wearer. After an hour, it’ll be more in that 3-5 foot range, getting closer during the duration.

On my skin, I can get about 6-7 hours of wear from Black. It’s solid, though, it doesn’t deliver a marathon performance. Maybe an extra half hour or so, if you spray a bit more. I can’t imagine that it would go much further than that.

Seasonally, autumn and winter all the way. This one thrives in the colder weather and I wouldn’t want to wear it in the heat at all. It sits perfectly in the air, when it is crisp and cold outside.

This is a unisex fragrance and doesn’t lean particularly feminine to me, versus some of the other E&J perfumes. Really can fit anyone’s style. That being said, I would prefer to wear this one out at night or casually versus having it be a daily office wear or something along those lines.

Overall Impressions of Nirvana Black

Do I like this fragrance? Yes, the whole Nirvana series is pretty underrated in my book. This one is simple, but great.

The performance isn’t insanely good, but it also isn’t bad. I had seen some people say things to the contrary. For me, the ability for Black to project was enough and felt really substantial at times.

But, the nuance of the aroma is a treat, especially only utilizing these three notes. I’m not even a violet fan in most cases, this one just works well. Not a violet leaf or too synthetically harsh. A good powdery representation.

It is kind of limited to cooler temperatures, but it sells at a very affordable price point, so you should still be able to get plenty of use out of it. Smoky, powdery, smooth, and somewhat sweet.

If the notes sound appealing to you at all, I would recommend giving it a try. This was one of the best of the Nirvana releases for sure.

Best Men's Colognes

Best Men’s Colognes started back in 2013, as a way to share my learning experiences with different fragrances, as I dove head first into the hobby. Since then, I have written hundreds of reviews and other pages about perfumes and colognes.