Impulse Rock and Love Body Spray

RRP: £1.99

--What does the promo say?--
"Rock & Love is an oriental scent featuring a mix of fresh and fruity fragrance notes, including amber and orange blossom, which combine to produce a bright, sparkling scent, perfect for an on-the-go fragrance boost. The perfect pairing for any rock inspired look, Rock & Love is an effortlessly cool yet chic scent, designed to be the ideal handbag essential to take you from day to night."

--Packaging--
The cool silver background and the almost neon flowers marry to create an almost tattoo-esque concept thanks to the rebellious lines and extreme colours, while the flowers themselves also evoke the Oriental feel intended by the fragrance's principal notes of amber and orange. The turning plastic cover is a lot more convenient than a separate lid, and the spray mechanism itself is strong.

--Application--
I'd say you're best off spraying a mist of this in front of you and stepping into it to let it fall gently over your hair, skin or clothes, rather than directing the jet straight at yourself (see below for reasons why).

--Scent--
A bit overpowering, which is a shame (hence the suggestion above to use sparingly). However, the overall idea is nice: the amber comes through clearly to create a musky, mature result without being a perfume fit for your grandma. The edginess is perhaps created by the orange blossom, although this isn't nearly as detectable as the amber.

--Longevity--
As mentioned, this is powerful stuff, meaning you should be able to just spray once and be done for the day. Handy for the busy and/or lazy!

--Value for money--
At £1.99, this won't break the bank, meaning that even if you dislike it, you haven't lost out. However, on this budget, you simply can't expect the depth and complexity of higher-end fragrances, so allow the price bracket to be your guide and set your expectations.

Impulse Goddess Body Fragrance

RRP: £2.10 for 75ml

--What does the promo say?--
"Dermatologically tested, gentle on your skin. Only you have the power to make your personality shine. Glow with happiness. Be proud of who you are. Impulse Goddess: irresistibly radiant."

--Packaging--
A pleasant yellow colour with a vibrant peach, red, white and orange flower bursting out, adjacent to the scribbled Impulse logo in black. A spray top with no separate lid but which can be clicked open and closed by means of a small rotating screen-like apparatus. It's good that Impulse have done this as far too many body spray manufacturers (including Impulse themselves back in the 1990s!) have lids on their sprays that can easily get lost.

--Application--
The Impulse website advises you to hold the can 15 cm from the body and spray, obviously keeping away from the eyes.

--Scent--
Claiming to offer oriental and citrus notes in Goddess, Impulse certainly delivers, with both concepts being clearly distinguishable. Got to love it when a perfume smells exactly like it says it will. This is something that Impulse has always been good at - as well as successfully targeting their audience of girls and young women aged 11 to 30, their scents have always been reliable, accurate and faithful. On the rare occasion that Impulse does celebrity endorsements (like they did with the Spice Girls during my teenage years) they always seem to produce a fragrance that correlates well with the celebs in question too.

--Longevity--
I won't lie to you: at £2 a can, it doesn't stay on the skin all day. However, it puts up a fair fight against other, more expensive, fragrances which sometimes perform very poorly on this score.

--Value for money--
For a cheerful, light fragrance that does exactly what it says on the tin at credit-crunch-busting prices, an Impulse fragrance is always a good choice. With a brand that's always on the button with the latest fragrance trends, in an easy-to-chuck-in-your-bag format, it's fairly safe to assume you can't go wrong - whether you're a young teen just starting out with perfume or a self-assured young woman. Girl power it is.

list of scents available from Impulse
Hint of Musk (lime, jasmine, wood)
London (grapefruit, jasmine, vanilla)
New York (apple, red fruits, jasmine, sandalwood)
Paris (orange, tamarind, tangerine, jasmine)
Siren (water flowers and cedar)
Tease (zesty pineapple and exotic wood)
Temptation (vanilla and amber)
Thrill (mandarin, rose, amber)
TrueLove (freesias, amber)