The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
The name says everything. This Is Love! for Him doesn't whisper its intentions, it wears them openly, like a philosophy major in worn leather, quoting Voltaire at a party they weren't invited to. Nathalie Lorson built this fragrance around a simple thesis: warmth sells. Bergamot opens the argument with citrus clarity, then orange blossom takes over as the heart, floral but not fragile, sweet but grounded. Sandalwood is the closing statement. This isn't a fragrance that plays games. It tells you exactly what it is from the first spray.
What makes This Is Love! for Him interesting is its restraint. Orange blossom as a heart note often swings toward indolic heaviness, but here it stays powdery, almost mineral, cleaner than expected, more intimate than loud. Sandalwood amplifies this effect, adding a creamy bass that prevents the white floral from ever floating away. The result is a fragrance that smells expensive without trying too hard. Sweet-woody is an oversimplified label. The actual composition sits somewhere between linen dried in afternoon sun and the skin-warm aftermath of something that actually mattered.
The evolution
The bergamot arrives quickly, bright, citrus-punched, gone within twenty minutes. Then orange blossom takes the stage, and this is where the fragrance earns its name. Not aggressive, not heady, just present. The kind of floral that smells like memory rather than flower shop. It holds for two to three hours before sandalwood begins its slow emergence, not replacing the orange blossom but layering beneath it, adding weight without adding weight. By hour five, you're left with a quiet sandalwood warmth that stays close to the skin. The drydown doesn't announce itself. It just stays.
Cultural impact
Zadig & Voltaire entered perfumery in 2009, and This Is Love! for Him arrived in 2020 as part of a deliberate strategy to capture the growing demand for intimate, close-proximity fragrances. The 2020 launch reflected a broader cultural shift away from bold, room-filling scents toward quieter, personal ones that reward proximity. The brand's rock-and-roll Parisian identity influenced the fragrance's restraint, positioning it as an alternative to louder masculine releases from competitors. As the house expanded beyond 30 fragrances by 2020, This Is Love! for Him stood out by keeping its composition minimal, using only three core notes to communicate warmth and intimacy without excess.
The House
Zadig & VoltaireZadig & Voltaire is a Parisian fashion house founded in 1997 that built its identity on casual sophistication with a rock-and-roll edge. The brand takes its name from Voltaire's philosophical novel Zadig, or Destiny, and translates that literary sensibility into clothing and fragrance with a rebellious yet refined character. Known for wearable luxury basics like cashmere pieces and leather jackets, the house brings an effortless aesthetic to modern urban dressing. Since entering perfumery in 2009, Zadig & Voltaire has expanded its olfactory line to over 39 fragrances, maintaining the brand's bold, fresh identity through scents that blend masculine vigor with feminine elegance.
The Creator
Nathalie LorsonWoody notes are definitely a signature for Lorson, often combined with a touch of spice or sweetness to create depth and complexity. She has a knack for balancing contrasting elements, like dark and light, masculine and feminine, resulting in fragrances that are both intriguin…
