Impact

Impact opens with a bracing citric slap—that Italian bitter orange announcing itself with pithy, almost astringent clarity before the pink pepper adds its fizzing, metallic sparkle. The red apple sits just beneath, lending a crisp, watery sweetness that prevents the opening from becoming too austere. It's the heart where things get genuinely interesting: elemi resin brings its lemony, pine-like character whilst the French cypress adds a verdant, almost gin-like quality. Clary sage weaves through with its slightly sweaty, herbal warmth, creating an aromatic complexity that feels decidedly contemporary rather than traditionally masculine. The woody base is where Impact reveals its 2020 vintage—akigalawood (that captive molecule delivering patchouli-adjacent earthiness) anchors the composition with a dry, papery quality that's enhanced by cedar's pencil-shaving crispness. Sandalwood adds a whisper of creaminess whilst musk keeps everything close to the skin.

This is a fragrance for someone who wants freshness without the aquatic clichés, woods without the generic department store heaviness. It's smart casual in olfactory form—the sort of scent worn by the person who's read the brief on business-casual attire and actually understood it. There's an ease here, a studied nonchalance that makes Impact feel appropriate for daytime wear when you need to project competence without aggression. It won't turn heads across a room, but up close, it reveals a thoughtful composition that balances bright citrus energy with resinous depth.