V&R’s new caramel fragrance is sugary-sweet

It surprised me a bit that Bonbon, the new eau de parfum from Viktor & Rolf, was created by different perfumers than those who composed Flowerbomb (the Dutch duo’s first fragrance). Although the two scents veer in different directions — Bonbon is sweet and Flowerbomb is, uh floral — they have a shared concept, and that concept is to douse the wearer with full-force, intense, heady scent. If Flowerbomb is a garden explosion, Bonbon is a dessert cart at a five-star restaurant.

But let’s talk about Bonbon on its own. This is a sticky confection of a fragrance, dripping with caramel and oozing with melted toffee — yes, jasmine and peach make an appearance, too, but this is mostly a gourmand. Bonbon is almost lascivious in its milky, sugary splendor; it is a screw-the-diet moment, a toothache gleefully welcomed, caramel dripping off a spoon. Too much of a good thing? That depends on how you feel about gourmand scents, I suppose. But if candy-shop perfumery gets your heart racing, then you’ll find Bonbon very sweet indeed.