Elizabeth and James "Nirvana Bourbon" and "Nirvana Rose" Perfume Review!

New for Fall, 2016 are two new installments to the Elizabeth and James perfume collection - and they're bringing in Fall with a bang! Read on for details about the products and a full review!

These two fragrances come in three sizes: 1.7 oz. and 1.0 oz. bottles as well as a .34 oz. roller ball version. The roller ball size is perfect for stashing in your purse or taking on your travels. The packaging of both consists of a slim, rectangular tower with a studded texture that is unlike the packaging other brands are using, and really stands out in the pack. The "Rose" bottle is purple-red with gold trim and the "Bourbon" is an amber shade with gold trim. The glass is thick, high quality, and durable.

"Nirvana Bourbon" consists of vanilla bourbon, oak wood, and tuberose notes. The woodsiness gives it a slight masculine edge, with the sweetness balancing it out perfectly to inspire a no-nonsense, confident, yet still approachable person. It really is reminiscent of the scent of bourbon, without the strong alcohol aroma. This fragrance is unique - many "woodsier" perfumes don't have such a complimentary sweet note to balance them out into a balanced, harmonious depth of aroma such as this. While the oriental qualities here are more serious, the sweetness gives it a touch of playful. For a person with a depth of personality, this is very appealing. I found myself sneaking whiffs of this scent all day long: it is both intoxicating and addictive. That said, this will not be for everyone. Elizabeth and James perfumes tend to be bold, and this is no exception. If you are seeking something ultra-feminine, clean and fresh, fruity, or sugary sweet this will not be for you. 

"Nirvana Rose" consists of rose de mai, geranium, and vetiver notes. Again, this one follows the tradition of bold Nirvana perfumes, and will probably be "love it or leave it" for most people. The rose here is not your mainstream Chloe-esque ultra-feminine rose. That "romantic" rose is here, but it lingers under a more mature, antique, slightly more masculine, almost woodsy veneer thanks to the vetiver. If you are unfamiliar with vetiver, it is a bunch grass from India with brownish-purple flowers, and its essential oils are more commonly used in colognes. This rose perfume has a lot more depth than many of the rose perfumes I have sampled in the past, and the notes blend together into a seductive melody. It is very romantic without being too "girly." If you already have rose scented perfumes in your collection, don't rule this out thinking it will be a dupe!

Layering works well for these - giving the whole scent package even greater depth. However, I find that the rose overpowers the total blend slightly, making the "Bourbon" half less apparent. For that reason, I will prefer to wear each one on its own.

VERDICT: 4.5 out of 5 stars. Not the absolute best perfumes I have ever tested, but definitely top picks in my collection, especially for Fall. If you like your perfumes to be unique, bold, and more on the mature side, these are worth checking out. Now that it's Fall, a lot of us are looking to set aside some of the candy-sweet scents, citrus scents, fresh-clean scents, and girly scents for something more woodsy and substantial, and these fit the bill perfectly!