Fragrance comparison

Shades Of Nirvana vs Alexandrite

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

Updated 11 Oct 2026 92 ratings analysed

Shades Of Nirvana

Zara

3.8779 votes

Rank #16,291 MuskyPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

71%scent match

Closely related

3 wins

Alexandrite

Mirra

3.0813 votes

Rank #62,130 WoodyMusky

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Alexandrite takes 3 of 5 categories.

Shades Of Nirvana
Choose it for a musky and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Alexandrite
Choose it for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Shades Of Nirvana2/5

Alexandrite3/5

Ratings & consensus: Shades Of Nirvana
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Alexandrite
Sillage & projection: Alexandrite
Value for money: Alexandrite
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shades Of Nirvana

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Shades Of NirvanaZara

AlexandriteMirra

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.87/ 5 · 79 votes

Have 50%Had 7%Want 43%

3.08/ 5 · 13 votes

Have 38%Had 17%Want 45%

Category winnerShades Of NirvanaRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

33%Love

34%Like

22%Ok

10%Dislike

1%Hate

79 votes

0%Love

46%Like

15%Ok

38%Dislike

0%Hate

13 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage45

♥ Love / hate72

⏱ Longevity57

〰 Sillage57

♥ Love / hate52

Category winners

LongevityAlexandrite

SillageAlexandrite

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value76

¤ Price value85

Category winnerAlexandriteBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

powdery88%

woody77%

white floral65%

fresh spicy53%

fresh42%

woody100%

musky86%

powdery72%

fresh spicy58%

white floral44%

warm spicy30%

Scent match71%Closely related · both musky, woody and powdery

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

GingerEucalyptus

Heart

Jasmine

Base

MuskSandalwood

Top

Black PepperEucalyptusLemon

Heart

JasmineCedarOrange BlossomApple

Base

CashmeranMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesEucalyptus, Jasmine, Musk and Sandalwood. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer61

Fall0

Winter42

Day–

Night–

Spring60

Summer100

Fall40

Winter40

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men3

Unisex31

Women67

Men17

Unisex17

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#16,291

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#62,130

PerfumerSébastien Martin

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerShades Of NirvanaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Zara Shades Of Nirvana opens with a sharp burst of fresh ginger and cool eucalyptus that clears the sinuses before softening into a quiet skin scent. A clean, non-indolic jasmine note emerges in the heart, floating over a base of creamy sandalwood and soft white musk. The total effect feels airy, clean, and understate…

Reviews →

Alexandrite opens with a bright, aromatic mix of lemon, eucalyptus, and black pepper, then settles into a soft floral woodiness with jasmine, orange blossom, cedar, and a clean musk-sandalwood base. It usually reads airy, musky, and lightly powdery rather than sweet, making it a better fit for someone who likes fresh …

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, Shades Of Nirvana or Alexandrite?

Alexandrite takes 3 of 5 categories. Shades Of Nirvana is rated 3.87/5 from 79 votes; Alexandrite is rated 3.08/5 from 13 votes. Choose Shades Of Nirvana for a musky and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Alexandrite for a woody and musky character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shades Of Nirvana or Alexandrite?

They last about the same: Alexandrite 57/100, Shades Of Nirvana 55/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Shades Of Nirvana or Alexandrite?

Alexandrite projects furthest (Alexandrite 57/100, Shades Of Nirvana 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shades Of Nirvana and Alexandrite smell similar?

Closely related: a 71% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share musky, woody and powdery accords. Common notes include Eucalyptus, Jasmine, Musk and Sandalwood.

Is Shades Of Nirvana or Alexandrite better for summer or winter?

Alexandrite suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shades Of Nirvana and Alexandrite?

Shades Of Nirvana has top notes of Ginger and Eucalyptus, heart notes of Jasmine, a base of Musk and Sandalwood. Alexandrite has top notes of Black Pepper, Eucalyptus and Lemon, heart notes of Jasmine, Cedar, Orange Blossom and Apple, a base of Cashmeran, Musk and Sandalwood.