Zadig & Voltaire
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The grapefruit arrives sliced thin and dusted with freshly ground black pepper, all bitter white pith and aromatic heat. There's an immediate sharpness that borders on austere, like biting into pink peppercorns while zesting citrus over a wooden board.
Frankincense emerges with its characteristic piney-resinous smoke, wrapping around vanilla that refuses to sweeten, instead offering a creamy, almost lactonic quality. The pepper persists as a warm tingle, whilst the incense dominates with cathedral-like solemnity, creating an aromatic haze that's both meditative and subtly provocative.
Sandalwood takes centre stage with a smooth, slightly synthetic creaminess that feels deliberately modern rather than traditionally woody. The frankincense lingers as ghostly wisps of smoke, whilst a persistent spiciness keeps the composition from becoming too soft, leaving skin scented with that peculiar contemporary warmth of polished wood and faded incense.
This Is Him! opens with a brilliant sleight of hand: grapefruit's bitter pith sharpened by cracked black pepper, a citrus-spice combination that feels more incense chapel than cologne counter. Within minutes, Nathalie Lorson steers this into frankincense territory, the resinous smoke threading through vanilla in a way that recalls church censers cooling on weathered stone rather than gourmand indulgence. There's an artful restraint here—the vanilla never blooms into sweetness, instead offering a creamy backdrop that lets the incense dominate with its pine-like, lemony facets intact.
The sandalwood base anchors everything with a slightly synthetic smoothness, creating that modern woody-amber glow that reads more as 'polished concrete and cashmere' than traditional perfumery. The spice never truly leaves; it pulses underneath like a steady heartbeat, giving the composition an edge that prevents it from sliding into safe territory. This is the scent of someone who wears leather jackets over expensive knitwear, who lights Palo Santo in industrial lofts, who understands that rebellion can be quiet and refined. It's not loud, but it's persistent—the olfactory equivalent of a knowing smirk.
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4.0/5 (730)