Impulse

Impulse is a line of perfumed body sprays and related toiletries that originated in the early 1970s under the cosmetics company Fabergé, which at the time was part of the Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever. According to historical overviews and advertising archives, the brand was first introduced in South Africa in 1972 as a "perfume deodorant," a relatively new product concept that combined fine fragrance development with everyday deodorant use.

The brand expanded to the United Kingdom later in the decade, with sources disagreeing slightly on the exact year: Graces Guide and several advertising histories cite a 1979 UK launch, while Wikipedia and some later summaries list 1981. Early UK marketing used a butterfly motif and the slogan "Men can't help acting on Impulse." In the early 1980s, Impulse released a series of named scents such as Always Alluring, Delightfully Daring, Instantly Innocent, and Suddenly Sassy, cementing the idea of distinct, personality-driven body spray variants.

Product development for Impulse fragrances has been led by prominent fragrance consultant Ann Gottlieb, who is credited in multiple sources with creating or directing many of the brand's compositions. Over time, the range has grown beyond classic aerosol body sprays to include antiperspirants and moisturisers under the same name. Special editions have also played a visible role: a notable example is Impulse Spice from 1997, promoted in collaboration with the Spice Girls while they were touring and at the height of their popularity.

Today, Impulse is still positioned under Unilever as an accessible fragrance-led body care line. The brand continues to evolve through new limited editions and updated core scents while retaining its core identity as a mass-market, perfumed body spray range originally rooted in South African and British youth culture of the late 20th century.