Etat Libre d'Orange
A unique visual signature based on accords, character, and seasonality
The aldehydes arrive like a sharp intake of breath, crackling against skin with white pepper bite. Musk immediately anchors this spiky top, transforming the initial sharpness into something almost mineral, whilst Sichuan pepper adds a subtle fruited electricity that keeps the opening from becoming purely soapy.
The florals emerge with deliberate artificiality—rose and jasmine rendered synthetic, lily of the valley thin and slightly green rather than soft. Patchouli threads through, creating an earthy counterweight, and the composition becomes chypre-leaning; the moss absolute introducing a cool, slightly woody undertone that feels almost vetiver-like despite its absence.
Sandalwood becomes increasingly prominent, creamy but austere, whilst orcanox adds a subtle metallic-woody character. The fragrance settles into a cool, slightly dusty woody-floral that bears little resemblance to its opening—less spice, more restraint, with the musk providing skin-hugging intimacy rather than projection.
Exit the King opens with a sharp, almost confrontational gesture—aldehydes and Sichuan pepper create an immediate fizz, like champagne bubbles mixed with white pepper dust. This isn't an invitation; it's an announcement. The musk grounds this spiky opening, preventing it from becoming purely atmospheric, whilst the pink pepper adds a slightly fruited warmth underneath the aldehydic snap.
What makes this fragrance compelling is how Cécile Matton uses the floral heart to soften rather than romanticise. The rose, lily of the valley, and jasmine arrive with restraint—they're rendered synthetic, which paradoxically makes them feel more modern and architectural than green. The rose doesn't bloom so much as structure; the lily of the valley whispers rather than projects. This is florality stripped of sentimentality, existing alongside patchouli that pulls the composition earthward, refusing to let it float into abstraction.
Add fragrances to your collection and unlock your personalised scent DNA, note map, and shareable identity card.
3.9/5 (81)