Tonic Impact

TL;DR Tonic Impact is divisive and opens with aromatic herbs, delicious berries, and sour leaves, followed by a spicy blend of dry woods and indolic flowers, ending with a semi-sweet mossiness. It contains a fragrance full of contrasts, originality, and creativity. The very first spritz will enchant you straight away. If the opening note is intensely green and almost tart, but the dry down is warm and musky. An aromatic and balsamic explosion envelops me when I spray the perfume on the skin. Between the opening notes, there is an acidic but velvety hint of bergamot granted to the clear anticipations of aromatic and slightly mentholated tones of thyme leaves, or majorana, very green and herbal. The opening is fresh, humid, acidulous, green, spicy, and grassy. Indeed, the leaves of the violet come out that outdoorsy, dewy but not petrol-like or as aggressive as in Fahrenheit EAU DE TOILETTE, for example, just toned down. There is something else of acid green, like the blackcurrant leaves, and I would not exclude dark undergrowth fruits. It advances towards fruit, but not necessarily too sweet—more of airy, fresh semi-sweet berries rather than syrupy juice. I am thinking of blueberries or black currants; none of them is mentioned in the fragrance notes. The slightly sweet overdose of berries sits atop a green freshness. There is also a sort of booziness and what smells to me like a rich fruit liqueur. From the bottom, I perceive the woody, dirty, and dark notes of the patchouli leaves and oakmoss. Tonic Impact is one of the loveliest green aromatic scents out there, with its green and slightly minty botanic plant-like essence. The fragrance reaches its peak with dry and flowery touches. I feel the green notes of geranium alternating with the drier and more woody ones of cedar wood. There is a sambac jasmine that is at the height of its nocturnal flowering that I think is indolic. I almost have the impression of bitter and medicinal puffs. It is a sensation similar to that released by wet oak moss. or more simply they are the leaves of geranium, bitter, velvety, crushed and moist. The dry down is woody-earthy-mossy. It is very well-blended and smooth, and no particular note stands out. It stays very fresh, and despite the gourmand notes, it does not have an edible vibe or sweet. To my nose, it gets sweeter as it dries down and moves close to the woodiness. When the scent reaches the final stage, the sweet, caramelised and burnt notes of the coumarins mix with the dark ones of the patchouli. Patchouli is not chocolaty but takes on an almost caramelised tone. The base is convincing, with a subtle amber and patchouli that ultimately blend into a subtle crystallised vanilla finish that lasts for the last few hours. Oakmoss infuses a bit of dust into its moist, forest-like earth, while patchouli lends its grassy and woody aspects. Ultimately, I am curious to know if any of you catches a suede-like accord, not a raw and animalistic leather but a more velvety suede. It’s so tart and creamy at the same time. Tonic Impact is a fresh, aromatic, musky, and clean scent but distinguishes itself with a mature, mysterious character, a smell that acts as an aphrodisiac. I don’t see it as a gourmand, but it has a delicate touch of fruity sweetness and a hint of spiciness. It’s unisex, which most people don’t know about, so women can wear it too! I think it has more of a musky, spotless scent, which I can interpret more masculinely. So, yes, it is safe for women, but it has more of what would usually be masculine elements. It’s very evocative of the outdoors, so I feel it is more of a spring, summer, and early fall perfume, just very vibrant, green, and woody, and it is a statement of smell. As an EDP concentration, it projects moderate well for a few hours, but it lasts on your skin longer. A warm and sensual aphrodisiac that glides from day into evening. I base the review on a 100ml bottle I have owned since June 2022. P.S. Hey, fragrance heads, don't you think it shares some vibes with Phantom? Now that I have them both I think they have many facets in common, not identical but similar. Let me know if you have a chance to compare them side by side.

Every now and then Zara comes around with a masterclass fragrance. This is definitely one of those. The review below mine - for the most part - I agree with in its entirety and have very little to add. As my fragrance journey gets more elaborate, I appreciate this fragrance even more. The balsamic and gourmand elements of this fragrance that provide support the otherwise butter-smooth greens, citruses and fruitiness are just so cleverly done. This is one of the smoothest blent patchouli fragrances I've put my nose on. It really does have a "caramelized" aura. It's sweet yet green, it's freshly aromatic yet warm, it's spicy yet gourmand, it's woodsy yet fruity/floral. I'm mentally transported to a relaxing bath in an old English hamlet surrounded by a botanical garden of exotic plants and the sweet smell of homemade baking (pie maybe?) while I am sipping tonic. For the price, it's incredible juice.

On me the skin scent is an equal and creamy blend of pineapple/coconut fruitiness, white floral, smoky wood and rice grain - and perhaps a little Ambroxan and tea as a finishing touch. It's almost like the aftertaste of a fruity piece of bread and embodies a less complex iteration of 32 Venenum by L'artisan Perfumeur. An unique, simple and easy-to-please wear, that is good enough for a non-discerning enthusiast. Surprisingly exceeded expectations 7.6/10

Tonic Impact is really similar to Phantom by Paco Rabanne, not a bad release by Zara.