This Is Him! Vibes of Freedom Zadig & Voltaire 2022

After eight years of abstaining from perfume due to a scent-sensitive (ex-) girlfriend and my father's admonition to avoid wearing perfume at work, I found myself hooked again thanks to my newsfeed ("The Top Seven Best Office Scents for Him") and decided to give it a try here in the forum. So here is my first review.

Armed with the aforementioned clickbait content, I entered the perfumery and left with Vibes of Freedom as an attempt for an everyday office scent, even though it wasn't even on the list. One could have certainly chosen better, but also worse. All in all, the scent is perfectly fine.

Vibes of Freedom starts strong. Alongside mandarin and lavender, cardamom plays a pleasing role after a few minutes. Later, the mandarin, in the form of the peel left after eating, somewhat takes the upper hand in my perception, leading me to briefly wonder in the meeting after lunch who is peeling mandarins. Oops, it's me! There is also a subtle spiciness and a slight soapiness present.

The sillage is functional. This is not a scent that entertains the entire club - but it also doesn't unintentionally clear out the whole open-plan office. The longevity is okay; after 6 hours, it's more of a skin scent. The bottle, well, at least looks sturdy.

Vibes of Freedom won't earn you heaps of compliments or fleeing passersby; I don't find the scent bad or completely generic. Suitable for the office or meeting friends! "Fresh" is not the standout characteristic of this fragrance; seasonally, I would place it more in spring and autumn.

First of all, I have to say that I don't quite understand all these reviews. I perceive this scent as a very masculine woody and also fresh fragrance. For me, it is not floral at all and therefore not feminine in the slightest. The sillage and longevity are very extreme and good for me with 3 sprays. It might be too strong for enclosed spaces. Overall, I would describe this scent as a woody-fresh everyday fragrance that has very good longevity, sillage, and price-performance ratio. For me, this scent is perfect for layering, as it adds a certain depth to fresh citrus scents.

Sometimes I am disappointed and sometimes surprised by the Zadig & Voltaire fragrances. The men's fragrances are a bit clichéd, but I don't find this scent bad at all. Please be patient, as the interesting nuances only unfold after 15 minutes. You can definitely smell the cardamom. So, if you are looking for a perfume that has a similar DNA (like Gris Charnel or similar), you are in the right place. Of course, this specimen smells much fresher, but with the woody notes and cardamom, it's essentially the fresh chai. A great perfume for entering the world of oriental fragrances, especially for those who have only worn citrus scents so far.

... this fragrance. Personally, I can't really connect with this scent and wouldn't purchase it for myself. It's one of those fragrances where I don't have any mental imagery.

Upon applying this fragrance, the first thing that hits the nose is a woody, medicinal scent. There's also a smoky, spicy, slightly citrusy, green, grassy, and earthy note that comes through. It has a masculine vibe.

The longevity and sillage are good.

Here we have a fragrance that I see more for men than for women. The starting age is around 21 and up. This perfume is an all-rounder for the whole year. It can be worn both during the day and in the evening.

If you enjoy a woody, medicinal, smoky, spicy, citrusy, green, grassy, and earthy scent, then this is the right choice for you.

Once again, a case where the community classification puzzles me. In my opinion, this fragrance comes across much better in reality than it does here.

Imagine a lavender chai latte on a wooden cream base with a hint of incense. As pleasant as that sounds, it smells just as nice. The listed mandarin doesn't really come through for me, but as a citrus lover, it might subconsciously be the reason why my nose sometimes takes a break here.

It lasts really well on me; the sillage is not intrusive but also not lacking.

For those who prefer freshies and are looking for an alternative interpretation that, in my opinion, works especially well in spring, autumn, or on cloudy, rainy summer days, or even in winter, can buy this without hesitation.
On the other hand, if someone wants to impose their taste on everyone and stand out in a new and penetrating way like the Prince of Zamunda - definitely not.
But I wonder - do we always have to do that & why do so many want it? Less is more; the wheel doesn't always have to be reinvented, but it should be well done, and that's exactly what this is.

Conclusion: clear recommendation to buy.