Fragrance comparison

Message in a Bottle vs Nirvana

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 30 Oct 2026 66 ratings analysed

2 wins

Message in a Bottle

Mark Buxton

3.9462 votes

Rank #16,999 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

19%scent match

Clearly different

Nirvana

Nany London Parfums

2.004 votes

Rank #73,746 WoodyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Message in a Bottle takes 2 of 2 categories.

Message in a Bottle
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Nirvana
Choose it for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Message in a Bottle2/2

Nirvana0/2

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: Not scored
Value for money: Message in a Bottle
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Message in a Bottle

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

Message in a BottleMark Buxton

NirvanaNany London Parfums

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.94/ 5 · 62 votes

Have 28%Had 21%Want 51%

2.00/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 0%Had 0%Want 100%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

37%Love

39%Like

8%Ok

13%Dislike

3%Hate

62 votes

25%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

75%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate73

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate25

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value0

Category winnerMessage in a BottleBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

white floral100%

floral92%

amber84%

yellow floral77%

animalic69%

citrus61%

woody100%

amber92%

musky84%

warm spicy77%

powdery69%

aromatic61%

Scent match19%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Notes

Jasmine SambacYlang-YlangNeroliMagnoliaAmbergrisCivetSandalwoodLabdanum

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Lily-of-the-ValleyBergamotFig LeafMagnoliacannabisOrangeSpices

Heart

Ylang-YlangIso E SuperOrris RootWhite MuskLabdanumCinnamonHoneyelemi

Base

SandalwoodPatchouliAmbergrisAgarwoodVanillaOakmossVetiverIncense

InformationalShared notesYlang-Ylang, Magnolia, Ambergris and Sandalwood. Durations are only published for Message in a Bottle, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer71

Fall33

Winter10

Day100

Night42

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex40

Women60

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,999

PerfumerMark Buxton

Launched—

Reviews7

Overall rank#73,746

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMessage in a BottleHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Message in a Bottle by Mark Buxton is a bold floral blend anchored by deep animalic warmth. The scent opens with a bright burst of neroli paired with powdery magnolia and sweet ylang-ylang, creating an immediate yellow floral and white floral presence. Beneath the sunny blossoms lies an earthy foundation of ambergris,…

Reviews →

Nirvana by Nany London Parfums is a rare unisex chypre launched in 2024. It merges fresh fig leaf, cannabis, and magnolia with a deep base of civet, oakmoss, and agarwood. Crafted for daring collectors, this intense blend suits crisp autumn nights when you want an earthy, animalic signature.

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Message in a Bottle or Nirvana?

Message in a Bottle takes 2 of 2 categories. Message in a Bottle is rated 3.94/5 from 62 votes; Nirvana is rated 2.00/5 from 4 votes. Choose Message in a Bottle for a white floral and floral character. Wins on value for money and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Nirvana for a woody and amber character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Do Message in a Bottle and Nirvana smell similar?

Clearly different: a 19% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Ylang-Ylang, Magnolia, Ambergris and Sandalwood.

Is Message in a Bottle or Nirvana better for summer or winter?

Message in a Bottle suits daytime wear; Nirvana suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Message in a Bottle and Nirvana?

Message in a Bottle features Jasmine Sambac, Ylang-Ylang, Neroli, Magnolia and Ambergris. Nirvana has top notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Bergamot, Fig Leaf and Magnolia, heart notes of Ylang-Ylang, Iso E Super, Orris Root and White Musk, a base of Sandalwood, Patchouli, Ambergris and Agarwood.