This is Her! by Zadig & Voltaire Eau de Parfum

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This is Her! blends Parisian spirit and rock energy into an amber floral composition with a milky texture and soft wood. Its distinctive chestnut note gives it a personality all its own, leaving a warm, feminine, and enveloping trail that melds naturally into the skin.

Concentration: Eau de Parfum
Classification: Amber, Creamy, Floral Woody Amber, Sweet
Longevity: Moderate ●●●○○

WHAT DOES THIS IS HER! SMELL LIKE?

This is Her! is a floral, creamy, and woody fragrance that smells primarily of jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood, with a spiced touch of pink pepper and a distinctive note of creamy chestnut. It has a sensual and effortless character — not too sweet, not too heavy.

When you first spray it, what you notice is a combination of aromatic jasmine and mildly spicy pink pepper. It's a lively, floral opening that grabs your attention without being overwhelming, and it lasts a few minutes before giving way to the next phase.

Over time, the scent shifts toward its warmer, more indulgent side: a chestnut cream blended with soft vanilla, like the smell of a lightly toasted, milky dessert — without ever crossing into cloying territory.

Chestnut is the most singular and recognizable note in this perfume, and it's precisely what sets it apart from most sweet fragrances on the market.

What ultimately lingers on your skin is a warm, enveloping base: sandalwood, a soft and slightly creamy wood that adds warmth without feeling dry or sharp, alongside a synthetic musky-velvety molecule that rounds everything out with smoothness. The result is an intimate, feminine scent that melds into your skin's warmth and stays close — without fading away.

Who is this perfume for?

Ideal if you're looking for:

  • A warm, creamy, and feminine fragrance for everyday wear
  • A sweet scent with personality that never feels cloying or overdone
  • Something distinctive that stands out from mainstream perfumes
  • Good lasting power without needing to reapply throughout the day
  • A fragrance that works equally well for work, a date, or a casual outing
  • A bottle with a striking design that looks great on your vanity
Avoid it if you prefer:

  • Fresh, light scents with strong citrus or green notes
  • A bold, room-filling sillage that announces your presence
  • Perfumes free of sweet, milky, or gourmand notes
  • Completely natural-smelling fragrances without perceptible synthetic molecules
  • Wearing perfume primarily in summer or intense heat

Fun Facts

  • The white bottle of This is Her! and the black bottle of This is Him! physically fit together: their jagged edges form a single piece when placed side by side, symbolizing the attraction between opposites.
  • This was the first time Zadig & Voltaire ever appeared on television with a fragrance, marking a milestone in the brand's communication history.
  • The ad campaign's soundtrack, titled We Belong, was composed exclusively for the campaign by French musician The Avener — a rare move in fragrance advertising.
  • Chestnut is one of the rarest notes in women's perfumery, making This is Her! virtually impossible to compare directly to any other fragrance on the market.
  • Behind the production was Beauté Prestige International (BPI), the fragrance division of the Shiseido Group, which signed a 15-year licensing agreement with Zadig & Voltaire for the creation, production, and global distribution of their perfumes.
  • It is a vegan, BHT-free fragrance that has not been tested on animals, as certified by the brand itself.
  • Fragrance specialists have identified ambroxan in the formula — a molecule not officially listed in the notes — which amplifies the scent on skin and is widely considered a key factor behind its mass commercial success.
  • The campaign film was shot on the rooftops of Paris in black and white, directed by Emmanuel Giraud with photography by Fred Meylan, reinforcing the brand's rock-Parisian identity.

Specification: This is Her! by Zadig & Voltaire Eau de Parfum

Concentration

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Style

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Duration

6 to 8 hours

This is Her! by Zadig & Voltaire

Last update was on: February 19, 2026 17:47

Eau de Parfum

Videos: This is Her! by Zadig & Voltaire Eau de Parfum

Perfumers (2)

Aromatic Notes

Zadig & Voltaire describes This is Her! as a rebellious fragrance with a rock spirit: floral, woody, and sensual, presenting five key ingredients — sambac jasmine, vanilla, chestnut, pink pepper, and sandalwood — without establishing an explicit pyramid structure.

Parfumo lists the same notes without organizing them into phases: chestnut, vanilla, sandalwood, pink pepper, and sambac jasmine.

Fragrantica, however, documents a full olfactory pyramid:

Source Top Notes Heart Notes Base Notes
Fragrantica Silkwood Blossom, Sambac Jasmine, Pink Pepper Chestnut, Whipped Cream, Vanilla Cashmere Wood, Sandalwood

Olfactory Family

Source Olfactory Family Mentioned Accords
Zadig & Voltaire Floral Woody Floral, Woody, Sensual
Fragrantica Oriental Vanilla Vanilla, Sweet, Woody, Balsamic, Powdery, Lactonic, Warm Spicy, Soft Spicy, Musky, Amber
Parfumo Creamy-Sweet Creamy, Sweet, Powdery, Woody, Synthetic, Spicy

According to the standard of the French Society of Perfumers, This Is Her! falls within the amber family, specifically the amber floral woody subfamily, due to the predominance of vanilla and creamy chestnut over a base of sandalwood and cashmere wood, with sambac jasmine supporting the floral dimension of the composition.

The lactonic gourmand accord of whipped cream reinforces the fragrance's enveloping sweetness, though it functions more as a textural nuance within the main amber accord than as an independent structural axis.

Olfactory Development

This is Her! unfolds a profile that moves from a spiced, floral opening through a creamy, gourmand heart, before settling into a soft, enveloping woody base.

The work of perfumers Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac —from the house of Robertet— aimed, in the words of Zadig & Voltaire's artistic director Cecilia Bönström, to find "a balance of something really clean and something darker, more mysterious."

Top Notes

15-30 minutes

The opening brings together pink pepper and sambac jasmine — notes that appear in both the official source and Parfumo — while Fragrantica adds a third: silkwood blossom.

Pink pepper is nothing like conventional black pepper. Its bite is much softer, almost fruity, closer to rubbing the skin of a small aromatic berry between your fingers. It acts as an initial spark: it wakes the fragrance without overwhelming, adding liveliness without overstaying its welcome.

Sambac jasmine is a variety of jasmine native to India and the southern foothills of the Himalayas, known for its more intense, warm, and slightly denser character than its European counterpart. Its scent is associated with very ripe white flowers with a faintly creamy undertone.

The perfumers chose it as the floral backbone of the opening, lending a white, creamy, and faintly solar facet that balances the sparkling spice of the pink pepper.

Silkwood blossom appears only in Fragrantica's pyramid. It is an abstract floral accord, not an identifiable raw material in perfumery, suggesting a light, subtly silky texture in the opening without adding weight.

The overall impression of this phase tends toward spiced-floral: something that starts with a sparkling edge and gradually opens toward creaminess as the pepper gives way to the jasmine.

Perceptions:

  • Profuma (Parfumo) describes the opening as a combination of jasmine and pepper that arrives with force and brightness, though notes that this intensity settles quickly, giving way to softer nuances.
  • Sweetsmell75 (Parfumo) perceives the jasmine with an immediately spiced character, noting that the fragrance moves toward a creamy-spiced profile within the first few minutes.
  • FrauLohse (Parfumo) highlights the pink pepper as a sparkling presence at the start, one that softens quickly into a light sweetness before stepping aside for the vanilla.
  • The blog In My Bag describes the opening as clean and lively thanks to the pink pepper and jasmine, noting it lasts around ten minutes before the gourmand heart takes over.

Among Fragrantica users, pink pepper tends to be the most recognizable note in the first minutes, described by some as lightly spiced and fruity, by others as slightly fresher.

Several mention a brief initial moment of strangeness —described as plastic or synthetic— that disappears quickly, giving way to the creamy development that defines the fragrance.

Heart Notes

30-90 minutes

The heart is the most recognizable phase of This is Her!. Fragrantica lists whipped cream, vanilla, and chestnut here, while the official source and Parfumo agree only on vanilla and chestnut — though many descriptions equally pick up on a creamy or milky sensation throughout this phase.

  • Whipped cream is not a botanical note but an artificially constructed accord designed to evoke the sensation of soft, lightly sweet, airy cream. Its presence lends an almost tactile quality to the fragrance, as though the scent were denser without ever feeling heavy.
    • Elena Vosnaki, writing for Fragrantica News, points out that this milky construction can read as slightly metallic and clean depending on skin chemistry, beyond its obvious creamy character.
  • Vanilla acts as the gravitational center of the fragrance. It does not behave as an excessive or cloying sweetness; its handling tends to feel more restrained and softer than in other fragrances of the same family.
    • Perfumer Michel Almairac himself imagined the fragrance as "a rock band playing in a Parisian apartment", a mental image that helps explain why the vanilla here does not aim to be comforting or conventional, but rather something more unexpected.
  • Chestnut is the most singular ingredient in this composition. It is a rarely used material in perfumery, and here it does not read as the roasted nut itself but rather as a soft, slightly toasted chestnut cream.
    • Sophie King, from the Soki London channel, describes it as "literally the smell of picking a chestnut from the tree and smelling it: green, slightly toasted, faintly bitter."

Together, these three notes create a creamy, indulgent heart that has inspired popular comparisons such as "a warm glass of milk with honey" or "marron glacé" among those who wear it regularly.

Worth noting, Wonderland Magazine mentions benzoin resin as part of the composition, a note that contributes a balsamic warmth reminiscent of a more resinous, slightly smoky vanilla. However, this mention does not appear in the pyramids of the three sources used as reference, and should therefore be understood as a perception specific to that review.

Perceptions:

  • Bellatrix (Parfumo) perceives the chestnut as a smooth nut cream with no trace of rancid milk, which together with the sandalwood adds a soft nuttiness and a discreet woodiness, avoiding the excessive sweetness one might expect from a gourmand.
  • Maritel (Parfumo) is more enthusiastic: she describes whipped cream and a kind of nut and nougat syrup, a rich, enveloping experience.
  • pudelbonzo (Parfumo) notes that after a somewhat intense opening, the heart calms down quickly and the pepper stops being intrusive, leaving behind a creamy, quirky but pleasant companion that she describes as "confidently feminine."
  • Sanja Pekić, in Fragrantica News, describes the heart as a chestnut cream and vanilla accord that gives the fragrance its defining floral-woody, gourmand character.

Multiple Fragrantica reviews agree that the heart is the most appreciated phase of the fragrance. The combination of chestnut, whipped cream, and vanilla is consistently perceived as something that avoids typical pastry-like sweetness: creamy and milky without feeling heavy or cloying.

Chestnut, in particular, stands out as the most discussed and distinctive note. Experiences vary: some perceive it as a soft, slightly toasted cream; others find it more neutral and cool. It is a note that sets expectations, and one whose expression varies considerably from skin to skin.

Base Notes

From 90 minutes onward

The base is where the fragrance settles on the skin and finds its quietest expression. Fragrantica lists sandalwood and cashmere wood (cashmeran) — a synthetic aromatic material with a soft, musky-woody profile, widely used in modern perfumery to add warm texture and depth to the dry-down.

Parfumo and the official source mention sandalwood; the pyramid recorded by Sanja Pekić in Fragrantica News lists it as the sole base note.

Sandalwood is associated with a creamy, lightly sweet, warm wood that stops well short of spicy. In This is Her! it anchors the entire composition and is, according to the brand and several sources, the olfactory signature of Zadig & Voltaire, present across all of its main fragrances.

It lends the base an enveloping warmth that extends the experience without introducing new complexity.

Elena Vosnaki, writing for both Fragrantica News and her blog Perfume Shrine, also identifies the presence of ambroxan in the formula — a molecule not listed in any official pyramid, identified through her critical analysis. Ambroxan is a synthetic molecule of marine origin that reads as clean, dry, and faintly salty, with the ability to amplify the other ingredients on the skin.

According to Vosnaki, the combination of cashmeran and ambroxan explains why the base gives the impression of a perfumed body lotion rather than a purely woody or gourmand dry-down, and they are partly responsible for the fragrance's broad commercial success.

Perceptions:

  • DonJuanDeCat (Parfumo) describes the base as softer and creamier than the earlier phases, with a slightly synthetic and syrupy edge at the very end that takes some points away without ruining the overall experience.
  • Sophie (Soki London) notes that the dry-down keeps the chestnut present, wrapped in a cozy, soft feeling.
  • Clémence, from the blog Tendance Clémence, comments that the fragrance performs particularly well on her skin in the final phase, with notable longevity.
  • Onur Çetin, from the blog 7nota1parfum, notes a powdery, slightly artificial impression in the final phase that faintly recalls vetiver — something no other source mentions, and which may reflect the interaction of the base's synthetic molecules with his particular skin chemistry.
  • Elena Vosnaki concludes that the milky impression of the fragrance can turn slightly metallic and clean on certain skins, which explains the polarized reactions it generates: those who find it a comforting sweetness, and those who experience it as synthetic or off-putting.

In the base, sandalwood is consistently described as the most present and lasting note, perceived as creamy and faintly milky rather than as dry or conventional wood.

It is common for the fragrance at this stage to feel like a skin scent: intimate and close, blending with body warmth until it becomes difficult to separate from one's own natural scent.

Some users also mention a powdery or faintly talcy quality that becomes more noticeable over time — generally well received, though also noted by those who prefer cleaner or more neutral dry-downs.

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Performance

Longevity | Projection | Sillage

Fragrantica users rate both longevity and sillage as moderate, which aligns with the fragrance's intimate, creamy character: this is not a scent that demands attention but rather one that blends into the skin.

On Parfumo, experiences tend to be more variable and generally somewhat more generous, with wear times ranging between 6 and 8 hours depending on skin chemistry, and a fabric longevity that can stretch considerably further.

Highlighted experiences:

  • Sweetsmell75 (Parfumo) reports around 8 hours of longevity with a noticeable but non-invasive sillage, leaving an interesting trail without overwhelming the space.
  • FrauLohse (Parfumo) notes that even two weeks after applying it to clothing, the fragrance was still perceptibly fresh — suggesting fabric longevity well above what might be expected.
  • Moenique (Parfumo), from a more critical standpoint, describes a sillage capable of extending well beyond personal space with just a few sprays, and cautions that dosage matters.
  • Sophie (Soki London) describes it as a good-lasting fragrance that never feels overwhelming in intensity.
  • In My Bag estimates a wear time of over 6 hours, crediting the woody base as the main driver of that staying power.

One pattern that surfaces frequently among Fragrantica users is variability tied to skin pH: some report over 12 hours of wear with solid projection, while others barely detect the scent after 3 or 4 hours.

What does appear more consistent is that performance on fabric improves noticeably in nearly every case.

Occasions

Season and Time of Day

Across both platforms, users broadly agree that fall and winter are the most fitting seasons, with spring as a well-regarded secondary option. Summer draws more hesitation, largely due to the fragrance's creamy, milky weight, though it remains an option for cool evenings.

As for time of day, daytime wear concentrates the strongest preference, with evening use as a valid but less favored alternative.

Context

The enveloping yet non-intrusive nature of This is Her! places it consistently in everyday, close-contact settings rather than formal or high-projection occasions.

  • Clémence (Tendance Clémence) describes it as a fall and winter fragrance that wears well day-to-day without ever feeling heavy.
  • Ana Morales, writing for Vogue España, highlights its popularity as an everyday fragrance among users who layer it with other perfumes — a sign of its versatility as a base scent.
  • Several Fragrantica users treat it as a signature for daily wear, mentioning contexts like work, college, or casual outings, while others reserve it for dates or more personal moments given its intimate projection.

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Creation

Perfumer | Philosophy | Composition

The Making of the Perfume

This is Her! was born as part of a dual project: in September 2016, Zadig & Voltaire introduced a pair of fragrances conceived as both complementary and opposite.

Under the tagline "This is Zadig!", the French fashion house simultaneously launched This is Her! and This is Him! — two perfumes designed to embody the brand's universe: young, Parisian, effortlessly elegant, and driven by an unmistakable rock spirit.

Behind the project was Beauté Prestige International (BPI), the fragrance division of the Shiseido Group, with whom Zadig & Voltaire had signed a 15-year licensing agreement in 2014 for the creation, production, and worldwide distribution of its perfumes.

It was BPI that channeled the brand's core values — rock, art, love, and Paris — into two fragrances with what it described as an unexpected and timeless DNA.

The creative premise behind This is Her! was stated plainly from the start. Cecilia Bönström, Artistic Director of Zadig & Voltaire, declared to WWD that the goal was to break from everything already on the market, seeking "a balance of something really clean and something darker, more mysterious."

This wasn't simply about launching another fashion fragrance — it was about redefining what a feminine scent could be: free, self-assured, and with genuine character.

The result was a floral, woody, and gourmand eau de parfum built around an unconventional combination: sambac jasmine, pink pepper, chestnut cream, vanilla, and sandalwood.

Chestnut, in particular, became the fragrance's most distinctive and daring note — a choice that sets This is Her! apart from virtually any other women's fragrance of its era.

Together with sandalwood — a recognizable olfactory signature of the brand — and vanilla, the formula draws the portrait of a sensual, effortless femininity that never tips into cloying sweetness.

The Perfumers

This is Her! was created by the duo of Sidonie Lancesseur and Michel Almairac, both from the perfume house Robertet.

As Tina Milton reports in DFNI, Lancesseur and Almairac were tasked with translating Zadig & Voltaire's rock chic world into a feminine fragrance, selecting raw materials that balanced sensuality with a modern edge.

Michel Almairac is one of the most respected perfumers of his generation, with iconic creations such as Déclaration by Cartier and Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan Parfumeur to his name.

Sidonie Lancesseur, for her part, has worked with major houses including Givenchy and Paco Rabanne, bringing a signature style that moves fluidly between the floral and the warm.

For the masculine counterpart, This is Him!, BPI turned to the duo of Nathalie Lorson and Aurélien Guichard of Firmenich — a deliberate choice to assign distinct creative pairs to each fragrance in the launch. The decision to work with two separate duos on two scents designed to complement each other speaks to the ambition with which both the house and BPI approached this project.

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Bottle

Design | Materials | Symbolism

The This is Her! bottle is white, clean-lined, and minimalist — made instantly recognizable by its jagged, uneven edges, as though the glass had been broken by hand.

Far from an aesthetic flaw, that fracture is the heart of the visual concept. Cecilia Bönström, Artistic Director of Zadig & Voltaire, explained that the design was intended to be "elegant and simple, inspired by contemporary art," with the black-and-white contrast serving as a symbol of the opposition and attraction between the feminine and the masculine. The This is Him! bottle, in black, shares the exact same broken silhouette.

Placed side by side, the edges interlock: the two halves become one — a visual nod to the complementary duo concept that anchors the entire campaign.

Beauty blogger Clémence described the image as "a broken glass block evoking the two halves of a couple in love."

The bold black lettering against the white surface reinforces the graphic contrast, and the overall effect carries that rock attitude without feeling overdone.

Available Sizes

This is Her! is available as an Eau de Parfum in three sizes: 30 ml, 50 ml, and 100 ml.

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Sustainability

Sustainability | Ethics | Ingredients

The French fashion house confirms that This is Her! is a vegan fragrance, BHT-free, and not tested on animals.

These commitments reflect a growing trend in accessible luxury perfumery, where consumers increasingly demand greater transparency around ingredients and production practices.

The absence of BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), a synthetic preservative flagged by various health and environmental organizations, points to a formulation that prioritizes consumer well-being.

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Campaign

Concept | Ambassadors | Narrative

The September 2016 launch of This is Her! was accompanied by a distinctly Parisian visual campaign.

The brand chose two young French models as its faces: Joséphine Le Tutour and Sam Lammar, selected for their charisma and an effortless appeal that perfectly matched the brand's spirit.

The advertising film, directed by Emmanuel Giraud, unfolds across the rooftops of Paris in black and white, with staccato images set to music that alternate between dancing, live music, and the magnetic encounter between the two protagonists.

The soundtrack was the work of French DJ and musician The Avener, who composed an exclusive track titled We Belong specifically for the ad — an unusual move in the industry that reinforced the campaign's artistic dimension. Photography was handled by Fred Meylan.

Joséphine Le Tutour spoke about her experience in an exclusive interview with Grazia, where she described the Zadig & Voltaire woman as "young, vibrant, self-confident, with a very strong rock and roll side," and called the fragrance "very feminine, with that chestnut note that gives it personality."

She recalled an intense three-day shoot filming day and night across Paris, including a scene driving along the Seine at 5 in the morning.

A Television First

The launch also marked a milestone for the house: it was the first time Zadig & Voltaire had appeared on television with a fragrance.

The media investment was concentrated between September and December 2016, with particular visibility at Parisian airports and a planned rollout across 600 points of sale throughout travel retail in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

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Awards

Awards | Reviews | Recognition

The Good

Analysis of positive opinions

The most frequent and favorable opinions about This is Her! by Zadig & Voltaire Eau de Parfum, based on 160 authentic reviews from forums and communities:

  • Creamy, lactonic profile with whipped cream and chestnut: Many users highlight the intensely creamy and milky character, with whipped cream and roasted chestnut creating a warm, sophisticated dessert-like quality that never feels cloying.
  • Silky creamy sandalwood as the standout note: The soft, creamy sandalwood is consistently mentioned for its distinctive milky, woody texture — never dry or harsh.
  • Pink pepper opening that melts into warmth: The spicy pink pepper opening that quickly softens and blends into the creaminess is widely praised as an attractive and distinctive trait.
  • Feeling of a warm, comforting hug: Many describe it as a hug in a bottle, a soft blanket, or freshly dried warm clothing — conveying a deep, soothing sense of comfort.
  • Unique and incomparable scent: Nearly everyone agrees it is completely unlike any other fragrance they know, with a personality so distinctive it becomes a signature scent for many.
  • Addictive quality that keeps you smelling your own skin: Users admit they cannot stop smelling their wrists or clothing throughout the day because it is simply irresistible.
  • Impressive longevity, especially on fabric: It stands out for lasting many hours on skin and several days on fabric, even after washing.
  • Present but intimate, personal sillage: It offers an initial projection that is noticeable at a distance, then settles into a skin-close scent without invading the space around you.
  • Unisex appeal with a modern femininity: Although clearly feminine, its sandalwood and pepper give it a unisex quality; several men praise it and many consider it wearable for themselves.
  • Round, silky softness with no rough edges: Its smooth, round, enveloping texture is consistently praised — like a creamy cloud with no sharp or uncomfortable notes.
  • Subtle sensuality with a confident attitude: It evokes a self-assured woman, discreetly and modernly sexy, with a rock-tinged yet welcoming style that radiates confidence.
  • Versatility as an everyday scent in cooler weather: Ideal for daily wear in fall and winter, and usable in other seasons with moderate application, without ever feeling heavy.
  • Consistent compliment generator: It frequently draws compliments from strangers, family, and friends who ask what fragrance it is because they find it particularly appealing and memorable.

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