Bon Vivant

[k00kaburra]

An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry.

In bottle: Bright and bubbly. This is definitely bright red bouncing strawberries (versus the older dark red ones that would smoosh rather than bounce) splashing around in champagne. It's rather the way I always imagined Wonka's Fizzing Lifting Drinks to smell.
On me: Victoria's Secret has a Strawberries & Champagne fragrance that this reminds me of, but Beth's blend does more than just smell pretty. There's something more real about Bon Vivant - it actually conjures up the image of a strawberry soaking at the bottom of a champagne flute. It's such a sparkling fruity fragrance, but it doesn't last very long. After forty minutes the strawberries are nearly gone and the champagne is left on its own.

[Emu Nymph]

In the vial:

Syrupy sweet, almost like the Strawberry Syrup at IHOP. But there’s something else under that syrup smell that I can’t quite put my finger on.

Wet:

The champagne comes out more on my skin. But still very sweet. Almost a bit too sweet.

 

Drydown:

 

As it fades down there’s something else that comes up pretty strong but it doesn’t smell like either Strawberry or champagne. It’s has a waxy bitter edge to it. But I’m not sure.

 

Final Thoughts

I had to keep sniffing my wrist to see if I liked it or not. And I’m still up in the air about this one. So I’m going to keep it for at least one more try a bit later and maybe I’ll late it better or at least know if I like it or not. It’s very nice scent all the way through, but I’m not sure if it’s for me. But my friend who tastes all the oils that I'm wearing and remember to bring to school with me says this one really doesn't taste that bad.

[inkstone]

Courtesy of a swap with Isyche.

 

In the vial: Strawberries and bubbly champagne!

 

Wet: Like its wine counterpart, the champagne note is all I smell.

 

Drydown: Sweet strawberry goodness over a champagne base! I like it!

 

Final thoughts: It's a relatively light scent on me. I don't think it's one of those scents that lasts very long on my skin. Even now, I have to press my nose against my skin to smell it. However it seems to work better with my hair and clothes because I accidentally splashed some around and it got everywhere. Hmm... Will have to ponder this.

[Donnababe]

First sniff is red, ripe luscious strawberry. It is sweet, but not cloyingly so. When I apply it the champagne note comes through, virtually splashing onto my skin. I am amazed at how this smells so bubbly!

 

This doesn't last all that long on me but I love it. The strawberry and wine are there all the way through (the wine getting more apparent as time goes by), I do not get the artificial smell that others have and the strawberries are tart and lovely.

 

I cannot help but feel good when I wear this, I plan to wear this on my birthday and perhaps it might even be able to get my out of my New Years Eve Doldrums. I hate New Years Eve.

 

I cannot wait to get my 5ml.

[tart]

Wow, I actually like Bon Vivant!

 

I wasn't interested in trying this one before because I don't like Strawberries & Champagne from Victoria's Secret, and because strawberry just didn't sound like me at all.

 

Bon Vivant is actually sexy, not childish like I thought it might be. The strawberry is fresh, not artificial, and the champagne makes this blend so fun. I'm so pleasantly surprised! The strawberry scent also brings back good memories from when I was younger and would always ask my mom to buy me this strawberry shampoo I liked.

 

Oh man, I'm going to smell so good layering this with Dana O'shee and/or Bliss.

[spaceprostitute]

It's nice, but not something I would buy a 5mL bottle of.

 

This is a very girly fragrance, as in a young girl. If you use LUSH, I can equate with the kind of young bubble gum scent of Rockstar and Creamy Candy. I have my Creamy Candy moments, but they're few and far between these days, and thus so will be with Bon Vivant. The champange does add a bit of a bubbly, boozy, NYE celebratory feel to it, and for just that reason I may wear this on NYE along with my Candy Fluff from LUSH, but ultimately the strawberry wins out and this becomes a very sweet strawberry gum scent. It nice if you like that sort of thing or are in the mood for it. I like it much more than Jailbait, but will be turning to Swank when I want a fruity/boozy scent.

[starrykitten]

The strawberry is definitely prominent here. It is somewhere between a fresh-picked berry and a candy strawberry. The champagne really just adds a bubbyness to the scent and doesn't contribute its own fragrance, to my nose.

 

Bon Vivant is very cheerful. It doesn't last very long, but I think I would get tired of its sweet berryness if it lasted all day, mostly because it doesn't change very much on me.

 

It is really great in the bath, I think. The strawberries are uplifting and relaxing, but the crystalline-ness of the champagne still makes it feel clean to soak in.

 

ADDED May 17:

 

Very fizzy and very strawberry indeed! It's a chipper scent, good for days of feeling perky or girly. Not creamy or anything, and doesn't seem to have a lot of depth, but it's cheerful.

[quinkel]

BPAL is so good to learn what notes one like and what notes one hate.

 

Champagne is a note that is not for me. Shattered went sour and so did Bon Vivant. It's my chemistry because from the Imp its a lovely, sweet strawberry.

 

Pity, loved the name...

[surf-tormented]

I had two imps of Bon Vivant at one time. I traded one because I normally hate fruit based oils, especially with strawberry tones most companies get horribly wrong. Strawberry can sometimes turn into a sickening artificial candy type of smell fast. Or car air freshener.

 

But not Bon Vivant. It has won me over. I think the champagne notes are what does it. I kept smelling my wrist. It didn't smell boozy or overly fruity, JUST GOOD. A tiny bit sweet, but more like fresh ripe strawberries, not Kool-Aid and a little bubbly mixed in with a mystery oil I have yet to guess that is spicy.

 

Wow, I am impressed. Sad I traded the other imp of this. Perhaps I may get a bottle of this in the future.

Edited December 11, 2004 by Madame Nyx

[Camilla T]

Wow, I really like this!

 

It's a fun and bubbly scent. Champagne and strawberries - a very uncomplicated scent. It's great if you want something not too heavy, but just a bit of a fun and light scent that will make you all girly and happy!

 

On me, it stays very much the same scent as in the bottle. Nice!

[stardreamer]

Strawberry it definitely is! As seems to be usual with the berry notes, I smell BERRY so overwhelmingly that not much else comes thru. But this is significantly lighter than either Bordello or Bewitched, and would probably be a better option for those who find berry to be overly-sweet. It's also fading relatively fast on me; 6 hours, and it's just a trace. R. finds it inoffensive, so it's worth keeping, but probably not worth getting more once it runs out.

[rainbow]

In the bottle- just like the description- strawberries and champagne.

 

Wet on the skin- this is a crisp, tart strawberry smell that's really tempered by the champagne. It's a very dry champagne, at least to my nose.

 

As this develops it becomes slightly sweeter, still boozy, strawberries and champagne. It's nice! I can almost smell the effervescent bubbles, if that's possible.

 

Overall- a really original scent, and very celebratory. It becomes creamy on the drydown. Yum- I'll be getting a big bottle.

[sheelanagig]

Bon Vivant is, for lack of a better word, AMAZING. It bubbles in your nose like champagne would, and the strawberry is sooo true. Not in the least bit artificial.

 

This is such a happy fragrance. An absolute mood lifter.

 

I can't wear this all the time, but it is sooooooo wonderful!!

[rhubarbbear]

this totally reminded me of a strawberry shortcake doll. i think it was the champagne note! on my skin the champagne really took over, and what strawberry could fight its way through ended smelling kind of plasticky. not really a great scent for me, but one i've thought about sending on to my neice...

[luxuria]

Starts out as bright, fresh strawberries..not as juicy as I would have imagined, but pleasant nonetheless.

 

This is very uncomplicated overall. Bubbly strawberries! The champagne blends so well with the fruit. It's a very happy scent as well. I'm not in the mood for that now, so I'm definitely going to tuck this away in a safe place for when it can be truly appreciated.

 

I'm glad I don't get strawberry lipgloss, because the smell of that makes me nauseous

 

ADDED Aug. 4:

 

I was expecting something nauseating and stickily sweet, but not so- this is beautiful on my skin. The strawberries smell FRESH and the champagne notes just make it sparkle. It's sweet, but the least sweet fruit scent I've ever worn. This is wonderful!

[Andromedii]

Mmmmmmmmmm. Every sniff reminds me of fresh strawberries bouncing in sparkling, bubbly, effervescent champagne. A light scent, perfect for when you want to smell like just a bit of berry & bubbly! I lurve this scent! I'd wear it daily, except I'd always be hungry just smelling it.

[Shimmershadow]

Bottle Sniff: Whoo! Sweet!! Very sugary-berry. Makes me suddenly crave a bowl of Strawberry Fields cereal, as a matter of fact.

 

Wrist Sniff: (Ten minutes later, crunch crunch crunch...) My skin is not loving this. It smells kindof chemically on me. The berry is still there, but it's gone smoky and incensy; there's a kind of dirty musk underneath it. The sweetness has faded (thank Goddess) into something more sinister. It's the American Psycho of BPAL. All sweetnes and flash on the first go, but progressively primal the deeper you go. Occasionally crisper notes hit my nose, giving a tease of freshness.

 

And so: I kind of like it, but it's not high on my list. Something I'd really have to be in the mood to wear, but I could defintely see it evolving into a...fun...evening.

[anshara]

I got this imp included as a feebie in an e-bay buy... Thank you!

 

In the imp

Perfectly ripe strawberries soaked in high quality champagne.... The grape note in this is lovely.

 

swiped on my wrist and collarbone- wet... true to the bottle and darkening with the grapiness of the champagne becoming more pronounced...

 

Drydown 10 minutes: high quality champagne with all the full bodied fruitiness that the description implies... YUM with a sweet floral hint of perfect strawberry... Perfect... Going on 10 ml list .

 

Final thoughts: lovely sweet, yet sophisticated... Elegant yet celebratory.... A happy scent perfect for a gathering of any kind.... Love LOVE LOVE!!!!! Future bottle definitely....

-Miriam

[scourgeotheseas]

Bon Vivant

 

In the bottle: Champagne. It captures the slightly sour scent I always get from the real thing.

 

On: A fizzy strawberry, very light and summery. However, it also smelled kind of artificial to me. Not unpleasant, though. As I continued to wear it, the strawberry scent began to fade, becoming more "real", and the champagne note became more detectable.

 

I'm unsure about this one -- there's certainly nothing wrong with it, and it smells good on my skin, but I'm not sure it's something I want to wear. :| I may keep it for awhile and see how I like it later, as I could see this as a summery or mood-lifting kind of scent.

[Aurelius]

This was a gimp from the lab.

 

Ooooh, pretty. This is exactly like the description: champagne and strawberries. This is very nice. It doesn't have much throw or staying power on me, but it's a lovely scent! I found myself sniffing my wrists a lot!

[dreamingjune]

Oh my goodness, this is so wonderful. All I could think at first when sniffing this is some kind of Lush product. I've finally narrowed it down to a combination of Think Pink ballistic, Blackberry Bomb ballistic, and American Cream conditioner. Funny, because I was utterly desperate for an American Cream Bpal scent.

 

What's strange is that I am the girl who loves scents like Brimstone and Djinn. When I looked up the discription of this I nearly fell over. Who knew I would be into a fruity scent that has strawberry and champagne notes? Though the champagne note in this reminds me of the chardonnay note in one of my favorites, Perversion. This one just keeps on growing on me, so I think a 5ml might be a must.

[phoefromelsewhere]

In the bottle: exactly what it says on the tin.

 

Wet: strawberry candle scent and sparkling wine.

 

Drydown: And it just keeps getting worse. Sweet and boozy, it’s doing exactly what Swank did on me.

 

Finally: Evil sweetness.

[dcmo]

I get a stronger scent from the champagne than the strawberries. Very decadent scent, but not too heavy or strong. This reminds me of New Years Eve for some reason. Very nice, and great staying power. Lasted the whole day without reapplication...which I love!!

[lunalight7]

Words can not express how much I love this! Uncomplicated champagne and berries. Funny thing is, I ordered an imp of this and the Lab threw in an extra one....I wonder if Beth sensed that I needed more "sparkle" in my life because that's exactly what Bon Vivant evokes. I can't stop sniffing my wrist and the scent gets better and better with time. Definitely a big bottle of this in my next order. Smells delish when paired w/ Whip (what a combo!!! )

 

Edited to add that this has GREAT staying power on me! I mixed it w/ unscented lotion and got compliments all day! This NEVER happens when I wear other scents. At 6 pm I could still detect a beautiful strawberry cloud around me....Slamming!! Great job Lab!

Edited March 4, 2005 by lunalight7

[tempete]

Bon Vivant smells like carbonated strawberry drink on me. Very effervescent and fun, but it doesn't really suit my personality. Although it does make me want to have strawberries and champagne...