The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
This Is Him! arrived in 2016 as the masculine half of a Zadig & Voltaire statement. The brand had built a reputation for easy luxury and rock-n-roll chic, and the brief for fragrance was characteristically direct: find balance between something clean and something darker. Nathalie Lorson and Aurélien Guichard took the brief seriously. They opened with grapefruit and black pepper, that bright citrus-bright contrast that signals competence, then quietly shifted the ground underneath. The goal wasn't a dramatic reveal. It was a slow turn, the kind that catches you if you're paying attention.
Frankincense and vanilla don't usually share top billing. One is smoke and history, the other is warmth and comfort food. Putting them together is the kind of decision that sounds easier than it is. The trick is the ratio, enough vanilla to soften the incense's edge, not so much that the whole thing slides into dessert territory. Sandalwood handles the bottom end, keeping everything close and skin-like rather than loud or room-filling. The result is a fragrance that changes shape over extended wear without ever feeling like it's trying too hard.
The evolution
The grapefruit opens and exits quickly, a brief appearance that clears the way for what follows. Black pepper lingers a bit longer, adding a slight bite that keeps the citrus from feeling too polished. Then the incense arrives. It's not dramatic. It doesn't announce itself. It just shows up and stays. Vanilla comes next, slipping underneath the smoke like it belongs there. The two of them, incense and vanilla, carry the middle hours together. Sandalwood arrives last, and that's when the fragrance settles into what it actually is: warm, quiet, intimate. Not projecting. Not asking anything. The drydown reveals traces of vanilla and wood, the ghost of smoke that lingers on the skin. What started as bright and sharp has transformed into something soft and lingering, the kind of evolution that makes you want to revisit the opening just to remember how far it's come.
Cultural impact
This Is Him! found its audience among men who wanted something with personality but without the performance. It's appreciated by people who notice fragrance, worn by people who don't need anyone else to notice it. The projection suits the wearer's intent, becoming part of the appeal rather than a limitation. What starts as a quiet presence evolves into something intimate and close, the kind of fragrance that rewards attention without demanding it.
