Zadig & Voltaire, aka the epitome of that elusive French Rock Chic, full of that je-ne-sais-quoi that I still haven’t mastered fully. That perfect flick of eyeliner? Got it! A rocking red lip? Mastered it! That rock & roll meets understated chic attitude? Still working on it! First step in that direction? Zadig & Voltaire This Is Her and This Is Him.

Two perfumes to incarnate the brand’s casual rock and roll chic style, two fragrances to perfectly complement each other, a scent trail of Parisian life. Both This Is Her and This Is Him have been created in cooperation with Beauté Prestige International (BPI), with Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac in charge of This Is Her, and This Is Him helmed by Nathalie Lorson. Brief:  “to find a balance of something really clean and something darker, more mysterious.”

Originally launched in September this year, I have to admit to only having started wearing them at the start of this month, as they are a tad too gourmand to match an Indian Summer for me (shame on me, I know…).
Both have been built around a woody, sensuous base of sandalwood, and This is Her has been brightened by Arabian jasmine and pink peppercorns, and intensified by vanilla and a heady chestnut. Woody, floral and tropically sweet at the same time, This Is Her is no a scent for the shy. At times a perfect gourmandise to start a gloomy morning or an injection of rock and roll to boost your spirits. Being the unisex fragrance lover that I am, I also nicked the This Is Him bottle from my husband’s stash. The masculinity of the sandalwood, leather and incense is countered by a hint of freshness of grapefruit, and it just oozes that balance of something really clean and something darker they were aiming for.

Truth be told, I like these fragrances, I like them a lot. However (and this is a small however) I did expect them to be a bit more out-there, a bit more heading in the direction of a true niche perfume, and was strangely surprised and a bit disappointed when I first sniffed them and realised they were more mainstream than I had anticipated. This has nothing to do with the quality or scent of these perfumes, and all to do with my being a difficult beauty brat…. But then I layered these two, and love struck! Sensory overload, but in such a good way! A leather note in a scent is always a hit in my book, but only when it is supported by contradicting notes, such as the jasmine, the pink peppercorn and the grapefruit. Oh sweet heavens of Parisian chic….

Available now online and at selected beauty counters