Naughton & Wilson’s Bon Viveur makes a case for living the good life

A sparkling cocktail fit for spring, summer and autumn.

A startup fragrance company which made its debut last year, Naughton & Wilson grabbed attention with their initial release Gravitas pour Homme; a fougere which presented a wonderful classically inspired blend imbued with modern balance, clarity and appeal.

Master perfumer John Stephen makes another appearance for the house with the new creation Bon Viveur, a fragrance which carries a notable trace of Gravitas’ DNA. However, it isn’t a mere extension of its predecessor; the new scent improves upon the backbone of the first release while taking it in a new direction.

The opening sparkles like a refreshing summer drink, namely a quality gin mixed with cinchona tonic water. It’s infused with a wealth of different citrus notes, yet the presence of the citrus is restrained enough to avoid giving off the tart impression you’d get from smelling a fruit peel. Initial presence is quite strong, with solid sillage.

Drying down, the sparkle gives way to a cool, steamy blend that reminds me of my favourite barbershop scent Penhaligon’s Sartorial, though it doesn’t copy it. A touch of spice presents itself, alongside a tinge of melon. The gin accord is still present, and the overall character remains refreshing. The scent begins to sit closer to the skin at this point, and remains this way until the fragrance wears off.

The base notes, immediately apparent in the blend from the beginning, contain the wonderful patchouli and oakmoss blend experienced in Gravitas. The presence of these is much stronger in Bon Viveur; a good thing, given that some wearers of Gravitas were unable to detect the oakmoss in particular.

Staying power is excellent, with the scent easily staying on skin for 8 hours.

See full notes list on Fragrantica.

Naughton and Wilson Bon Viveur fragrance review — *Images courtesy of Naughton & Wilson.*

Bon Viveur is an excellent second release from Naughton & Wilson, an improvement on what was already a solid start. It wears very well on a hot day, and I expect it’ll wear nicely in any temperature where a traditional fougere would be cloying, though you could wear the scent year round if desired.

If you would like to get your hands on this fragrance in Australia, contact australiannaughtonandwilson@gmail.com. For those in the rest of the world, visit NW’s official site.

Bonus: if you own Penhaligon’s Uncompromising Sohan, layer Bon Viveur over a spritz of it. They go together brilliantly.