Impulse
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
Bergamot and petitgrain burst forth with a clean, almost aggressive brightness—there's something slightly bitter about this citrus, not the juicy sweetness you'd expect. Within moments, you sense something darker lurking beneath, a smokiness beginning to creep in at the edges, suggesting this won't be a straightforward fresh fragrance.
The rose arrives with surprising restraint, its Bulgarian complexity tinged with saffron's peppery, slightly burnt quality. Neroli weaves through as a green, almost herbal thread, adding a subtle bitterness that prevents the composition from becoming floral in any conventional sense. This middle phase is where the fragrance's true personality emerges—it's contemplative, slightly austere, with the oakmoss beginning to assert its leather-and-wood character.
Musk dominates the final hours, creating an intimate, skin-scent experience rather than a projection. Sandalwood and patchouli blur into a soft, earthy hum, whilst the oakmoss provides a persistent green-woody anchor. What remains is barely there on the skin—whisper-soft, requiring proximity to appreciate—making longevity a non-issue since the intention appears to be subtlety rather than presence.
Impulse is a fragrance that wears its contradictions like a deliberate contradiction—purple petals meeting smoky sky, softness colliding with shadow. James Heeley has constructed something genuinely interesting here: a chypre that refuses to be merely pretty. The opening promises fresh citrus brightness through petitgrain and bergamot, but this is merely the overture. Where this fragrance gains its character is in the heart, where Bulgarian rose doesn't coddle you with sweetness but instead sits alongside saffron's dusty, almost medicinal warmth and neroli's green-tinged bitterness. These aren't harmonising in conventional floral fashion; they're creating tension, a slight discord that feels intentional.
What makes Impulse genuinely wearable is the base's architectural precision. Oakmoss anchors everything with its leathery, slightly earthy grip—this is pure chypre scaffolding—whilst patchouli adds an earthy, almost tobacco-like depth. Sandalwood lends creamy softness, but it's musk that does the real work, keeping everything gossamer-thin and skin-close rather than substantial. The floral accord dominates (100%), yet the fragrance never feels floral in the traditional sense. Instead, it's green (76%), with that verdant quality suggesting crushed stems and morning dew rather than sweetly arranged bouquets.
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4.3/5 (135)