A Review: Nirvana Perfumes by Elizabeth and James

I figured since I tell all of my friends about them, I might as well tell the internet. I'm usually really against "celebri-scents", but I have been using Nirvana White for over a year now, and Nirvana Black since last fall. 

Mary-Kate and Ashley will forever be the teen queens who stole my pre-pubescent heart in Passport to Paris and Holiday in the Sun. I mean, I used to have a Mary-Kate and Ashley hairdryer for crying out loud. Naturally, when I heard they were releasing fragrances at the end of 2013/early 2014 from their lifestyle brand Elizabeth and James, I knew I HAD to buy them. 

Nirvana Black: Violet, Sandalwood, Vanilla

Nirvana Black makes me think of a "I don't give a f***" tousled hair, slightly smudged eyeliner, dark jeans and an oversized white t-shirt vibe. It is the spicier, more sensual companion of Nirvana White. I typically don't like dark smells, especially sandalwood, because I find them way too overpowering. However, Nirvana Black is a game-changer. 

The scent is warm and dark and manages to avoid being too grandma-like or masculine,  and yes, it is quite sultry. Even though it might seem a little overwhelming when you first spray it, the dry vanilla really comes through and downplays the sandalwood. It's also not the type of gross vanilla undertones that people spray all over Bath and Body Works, or that overpowers the women's deodorant aisle. That being said, I mostly use this perfume in the evening because it is such a strong, unique scent, and because I find that the staying power of Nirvana Black's scent is a lot better in comparison to Nirvana White.

Nirvana White: Peony, Muguet, Tender Musk

As a university student, I cannot stand to sit beside someone in class or at the library who has a really violating perfume, or overwhelming amount of perfume, on. This is why I am obsessed with Nirvana White. It is delicate and prominent without being too heavy, making it perfect for every day use. I have never liked any fragrance enough to actually bother to use it every day until I tried this perfume at Sephora. I literally had a tray of body sprays/perfumes I had collected since I was 12 that I just never bothered to use that often. This is the perfect scent if you love more clean, fresh fragrances because of it's beautiful, light, kind of citrusy, smell. 

This perfume is more feminine than Nirvana Black without being too sweet. Because it's not as strong, it does need to be re-applied relatively frequently because the longevity of the scent isn't that great. I find it usually lasts for about 4-5 hours. To me this isn't a huge issue but I know for some people it's worth mentioning.

Overall, I am a HUGE fan of both of these perfumes. I use Nirvana White more frequently, but I also adore Nirvana Black. People also recommend using them together because they are meant to complement each other, but because I like them both individually I don't bother to combine them that often. Even though neither scent lasts as long as some other perfumes, I prefer this because I'd rather have to re-apply than feel overwhelmed by the smell of my own perfume at the very beginning of the day.

Other perks? The flacons (aka the bottles/packaging) are super sleek, easy to travel with (especially compared to all of Marc Jacobs' insanely decorative bottles), and super durable (trust me on this, I have accidentally dropped these a few times with no consequences).

For more on the Nirvana Fragrances: http://www.sephora.com/elizabeth-james?icid2=product_link_brand