Impact Pour un Homme
Caron (2005)

L'Impact de Pour Un Homme hit the market as a bit of an eccentricity both at the time of it's original release in the 1930's, and in 2005. In 70 years Pour Un Homme had become a best selling Eau de Toilette fairly synonymous with the idea of French men of a certain "genre," and in 2005 an unexpected recreation was confidentially re-issued by Caron House Perfumer Richard Fraysse, daringly labeled "L'Impact," and in extract form. Of all the Parfumeurs of the world, the famously auguste Caron could do this with intent, and purpose: It is said that Pour Un Homme, originally called "Les Plus Belles Lavandes," was the first extract perfume aimed specifically at a male clientèle, making abstraction of Guerlain's Mouchoir de Monsieur which pre-dates it by 30 years. In all fairness, it is true that, for the longest time, Mouchoir de Monsieur was not simply available to buy at Guerlain, and I do remember those years: The vendeuses would let you smell it, but you couldn't buy it on the spot. It was a bit as though you had to "apply" for it, like a job. It was only made for Kings of Spain and Actors. Pour Un Homme/Les Plus Belles Lavandes, on the other hand, was from the get go full throttle available, advertised in the best journals, and quickly became a sensation among the upper échalons of society. So many famous French men have worn this as a signature that it would be a senseless and tiresome exercise to list them, though that long list does include the likes of Serge Gainsbourg, several French Presidents, and Hommes de Lettres, among countless others. I'm not here to name drop. Caron, it should be remembered, was a more prestigious house than Guerlain. It was more expensive, more rarefied; while Guerlain always had a touch of Provincial quaintness. Caron, to this day, will never be having something as common as that. So much has been said, so many legends: The French would whisper that Guerlain was for roués and easy women, Actresses and Dancers. Caron was for Sovereigns and Grandes Dames. Guerlain was organic. Caron was kaleidoscopic. It's all true, really, when you examine the histories of both houses, Guerlain may be older, but they were chemists, and they did, in fact, joyfully cater to the demi-monde. Caron, on the contrary, was never anything but a wildly luxurious, famously exclusive gilded salon where only the very nec plus ultra of patrons were allowed and invited to browse. Now back to L'Impact: The discussion at hand. Richard Fraysse made at first only a dozen of these bottles, and sold them in the Paris Boutique in Avenue Montaigne to known repeat clients, as it was said by marketing executives that such a thing could never be marketed. When the Parisian Dandy Brigade raved, waving their mouchoirs and flinching their long side parted coiffures, a few bottles were sent to America, at Bergdorf-Goodman, where those exquisitely clad New York Swells all immediately fell into an Hermès briefcase dropping swoon. Then, all over they appeared, here and there...Russia, South America, The Middle East, always in small quantities. The idea was to recreate "Les Plus Belles Lavandes/Pour Un Homme" as it had been, and was no more, sparing no expense: Pushing concentrations to the brinks of legality. Years later, when Caron had changed hands and Monsieur Fraysse was diligently attempting to please a more modern, perhaps younger customer, a similar experiment was done in 2014 for the "Millésime 2014" limited edition, but as a more easily worn and understood eau de toilette. Later still, right before Caron almost disappeared, an Eau de Parfum version, simply called "Parfum," was launched, in a fetching ombré glass bottle. Obviously, all of these being Caron, a house that has never suffered mediocrity, not a single one isn't delightful. Oui, mais....Ah, but...ah, but "L'Impact," it's different. To be blunt, you should know, if you are not absolutely wild about Pour Un Homme, you will not be wild about "L'Impact." However, if you ever had a fondness for this Fitzgeraldian old sport, "L'Impact" will return the favor. Of all the versions, it has a coumarin and tonka bean content that defies logic, it's so thick with lavender absolute and resins that it's oily. Be warned. Those who say "Pour Un Homme" smells like "play dough" will smell nothing else but that, whatever it is, in "L'Impact." On the other end of the spectrum, those enlightened souls who love and are devoted wearers of Pour Un Homme will faint in ecstasy upon first application, for us, "L'Impact" is nothing short of bliss. It is one of those things that will have eyes rolling up into heads, toes curling, like an orgasm. It is a serious, serious indulgence into the realms of decadence the likes of which only Caron could provide: For once, it's not about a 9000 Euro Baccarat flacon, it's about three ounces of green juice that will set your heart and soul on fire with amour. Almost all basenotes, and perfectly linear, "L'Impact" starts off shockingly resiny and gluey, then just keeps getting darker, darker, darker. What's more, it lasts and lasts...A beautiful thing such as this will probably never be allowed to be made, ever again. L'Impacte makes no concessions to modern tastes, salability, commercialism, popularity, being understood by the masses, or being anything at all other than what it is. A sentiment echoed by new Perfumer Jean Jacques creation "Aimez-Moi Comme Je Suis." Here we have the last gasp of the ever intrepid house of Caron being unflinchingly Caron, but not just in name. Get it if you can. It you already have it, use it when it's cold. Savor it and cherish it, because it is history in a bottle, and not just any history. It's true. A gloriously dark and abstruse gesture it is to show up in a cloud of "L'Impact," but just as some things work for some, and other things work for others, we who will wear this are out there, sometimes in places you'd never expect to find us, and we will wear it without shame. Go right ahead, now: You can all whisper amongst yourselves that we smell like play dough: We don't care. Wherever we go, we are in it for the impact.
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Impact Pour Un Homme by Caron (2005) is a limited-edition pure parfum concentration of the original Pour Un Homme (1934) crafted by Richard Fraysse in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the scent. This parfum treatment actually renders quite the different experience from the standard Pour Un Homme and isn't just simply "stronger". First thing we have to get out of the way is the nearly 20-year tenure of Richard Fraysse himself as house perfumer for Caron, appointed by Revillion in 1988 and kept by the Alès Groupe after they purchased Caron in 1998. Fraysse had been working as a contracted perfumer before that, and maybe thanks to the success of compositions like The Third Man (1985) for Revillion Frerés and the fact he was the son of a famous Lanvin house perfumer from the golden era when Caron was on top of the world, Fraysse landed the job as curator of the house. Obviously, he also got to compose new product, seemingly all on his own (although collaborations with folks like Dominque Ropion happened too), and without any creative direction from anyone but his inner self. This lead to some rather strange and wonderful new releases for the brand, including the doomed L'Anarchiste (2000) for the men's market, which may have lead to a return of sorts to pushing the classic evergreen Pour Un Homme by way of this celebratory limited flanker.

The main gist of Impact Pour Un Homme is to focus on the base of Pour Un Homme proper, meaning downplayed lavender and lemon, with increased focus on tonka, vanilla, and musk. Herein lies the challenge with Impact, as there is just so much damned tonka and vanilla here now, that it leads to an over-amplification of the "play-dough" effect the original scent has, especially in regard to the removal of civet and replacement with a more general-audience synthetic that does nothing to counteract any of this at all. Within just a few moments you find yourself ensconced in blanket of oooey-gooey vanilla, coumarin, white musk, and a bit of anchoring cedar that does precious nothing at all to try building an aromatic foundation under it. We were a few years away from something like Versace Eros (2013) more or less perfecting this style with a double-dose of cedar and ambroxan to lift the vanilla and tonka out of the quagmire they make for themselves, so if you hate cloyingly thick and sweet masculines, run for the hills when you see Impact Pour Un Homme coming. Wear time is all day although projection is not monstrous because of how dense this is. You can wear this in the dead of winter, one of the few times original Pour Un Homme gets timid, and see no reduced effect from Impact Pour Un Homme. Like Megan Traynor, this one is all about the base, the base, the base.

Most importantly, this was a bit of experimentation on the age-old Pour Un Homme DNA, post re-orchestration from Fraysse in the previous decade. Les Plus Belles Lavandes de Caron (2008) would effectively come of this experiment, and be the attempted feminization of the Pour Un Homme DNA based on a retired special edition of Pour Un Homme (the most beautiful of lavenders translated), that ironically lead to a better and cleaner take on what was going on between this and the reworked Pour Un Homme. Also, further revivals of limited edition Pour Un Homme varieties would result from sales of Impact Pour Un Homme, so I'm glad this came into being, even if I don't particularly care for it. In many ways, without the success of Impact, Richard Fraysse would have never continued to tinker, nor allow his son William to tinker further when his brief time came to shine, meaning we may have never gotten Pour Un Homme Sport (2015) or Pour Un Homme L'Eau (2018) either. As a scent on it's own, this ultra-rare 75ml bottle is all but extinct unless you want to pay scalpers and collectors exorbitant prices to part with one of their obviously-hoarded back stock bottles, and isn't worth the effort being it feels like an unbalanced take on the original. Strictly for the collectors. Neutral

So this is what happens when you take Caron Pour un Homme and pump him with steroids, have him life weights all day and pound protein shakes. Definitely more concentrated but I detect a less-but-smoother lavender accord and a stronger vanilla & musk drydown. I actually prefer this to the original.

8/10

In 1934 Caron released the ultimate lavender/vanilla combo with its Pour Un Homme. This gentle, powdery scent was perfection itself for the older gentleman, the dad, even the grandad, and has lasted the test of time.

In 1958 (not 2005 as stated by Basenotes above, that may be a re-issue date), L'Impact was released. This was an edp concentration of Pour Un Homme (actual name on the bottle was "L'Impact de Pour Un Homme") which had been an edc concentration.

The lavender is stronger here, obviously, the vanilla just balanced however, and the dry down less powdery, more linear. However, it is just as fine in its own way as the original. This might be better geared toward the younger man.

In either incarnation it is highly recommended.

If you like Pour Un Homme and its slightly caramelized lavender drydown you are spot-on here... I have planned to wear this in combination with the regular splash EdT to amp the quiet drydown a bit up. It certainly will do the job. Exactly the same drydown, but fuller yet elegantly redux like an extrait should wear! A fantastic addition to the great classic!

Sort of intense version of Caron Pour Un Homme with less lavender on top and more musk in the base. Not bad at all but I stick with the original version for its freshness and more distinctive personality. Maybe a bit too powdery in the drydown.