Exit The King

Exit The King is completely unisex. Don’t let the name suggest otherwise. Very clean and inviting scent. An almost overwhelming sensation of cleanliness, but not too harsh. The epitome of clean. If it had a color, this fragrance would be pure white like a blank canvas. A person steps out of the shower, skin still damp but pure, the scent of bar soap still clinging to them, every inch of skin has been washed. Calm, trustworthy, and attractive. Not flashy or overly complex. It is the scent of someone who is safe, approachable and genuine. Neither too young nor too old. Androgyny. That's what this fragrance is. Unlike some soap-inspired fragrances (looking at you, Maison Margiela), this one avoids smelling way too artificial or synthetic. It’s fresh, airy, and smells like real, high-quality soap. There's also an essence of something "fatty" or ever so slightly lactonic in here that smells identical to a soap bar. It doesn’t immediately register as “someone wearing perfume,” but rather as someone who just naturally smells incredible. There's no sharpness, no overwhelming spice or sweetness as long as you do not overapply it. For a niche fragrance, this is an exceptionally safe blind buy. I'm in no rush to buy this one, but I'll keep it in mind. It could work as a pick-me-up kind of daily wear fragrance, I'm just not a diehard soap scent lover so I'm hesitant to buy something like this over ELDO's Fat Electrician instead as a clean scent.

I got a 15ml tester of Exit the King because the name intrigued me. I finished EtK way faster than I thought I would, then I purchased the 50ml bottle, and I've just emptied it today. Most people won't like the way it smells upon first spray, due to the sharpness of the aldehyde combined with the spiciness of the pepper and timur. Personally, I love the way it smells; it's heavy on the soap but dries down to a nice floral scent that stays with you for a pretty long time. The floral scent might remind people of their grandmas? Listen, I was born and raised in Hong Kong, old people here smell like menthol and camphor (which I also like), so I don’t really associate the scent with the elderly. But I like it; it's super comforting to me, like a fabric softener lol. I like the ambroxan because it adds an airy touch to the scent, but my friend said it smelled a little like a plasticky magazine, so maybe that and the industrial soap smell might be off-putting for some. I usually like spraying this onto my pyjamas after I change into them, or onto my clothes before I leave for work. On skin, it lasts about ~5-6 hrs, and on fabric, i.e., a winter coat or scarf, it lasts longer than a workday.

The ultimate "fresh-out-of-the-shower" scent. Exit the King was an instant love for me. On the first spray, it presents as a remarkably lean, elegant, and effortlessly fresh soapy scent. It manages to take the DNA that we know from classic "blue" shower gel fragrances and elevates it into something much more refined—think of a luxurious, hard white bar of soap, crisp and sharp. After wearing it through a full day, my rating hasn't wavered—it’s a perfect 10/10. On skin, it develops into a spicy, aromatic soap with delicate floral and aldehydic nuances that make the whole experience incredibly uplifting. It’s clean, it’s professional, and it has that "put-together" vibe that is perfect for my daily life.. For the price, this is a steal for a niche fragrance of this quality. If you’re looking for a signature scent that smells like you’ve just stepped out of a high-end shower and are ready for a productive day, this is it. Note: I don't actually own this fragrance; I am writing this review based on my experience with the official Etat Libre d'Orange discovery set.

I admit, I ordered a decant of this because of the name. I needed to know what the fall of patriarchy smells like. Unsurprisingly, in my opinion, it leans quite feminine. I’m wearing it for the first time, and am surrounded by a cloud of roses and airy soap bubbles. It reminds me of much older floral fragrances, but doesn’t seem old fashioned at all. I like it. Too soon to say whether it is a love or how long it lasts on me. It smells like taking a shower with an old fashioned soap like ivory out among the rose garden. I’m also 100% certain that Glinda the Good Witch, floating around in her bubble in The Wizard of Oz, smells exactly like THIS and you won’t convince me otherwise.

Was very surprised to have liked this more than almost anything else in the ELDO sample box. Ended up using the entire sample bottle quickly! It was the dead heat of summer and Exit the King was such a lovely pick me up during the hot, sticky, busy nights of summer bartending. When my environment (and often my own clothes) ended up smelling like beer, sweat and cigarettes I could count on this perfume for its impressive staying power and fresh cleanliness. All that being said it’s now the pits of winter and this has become my signature sent. I miss the roundness I felt from it in the warmer months but this is nonetheless my favorite everyday scent😊🛁☁️🪷