Let’s begin by telling you about the house of EXCEED. This is a niche perfume name that grabbed our attention while we were browsing perfumes with lychee notes which became one of Maruša’s favorite notes in perfumery lately.
The search pulled up quite a few results, but when a name comes paired with a beautiful shot of a modern, elegant bottle, our curiosity ramps up big time. That’s how it works anyways right?
After looking at the specific description of Angels Rest, we immediately went to their official website and were happy to see an elegant, timeless design that matches the perfume bottles and the whole vibe perfectly.
The brand concept is simple and effective.
A family house that refuses to chase trends or seasons, started by two brothers who wanted to build something that actually last through time and not as hype cycles. Exceed’s message feels right, which is a breath of fresh air in 2026, honestly.
Something we wanted to point out (purely our personal opinion): after checking their full lineup of fragrances, there’s a clear lean toward gourmand-style scents, even though they never say it outright. But more on that later.
Let’s talk about presentation: The sample set and the full bottle.
The sample set comes in a sturdy sleeve with a box that slides inside. It holds 10 × 2ml vials, each with a nice little golden sprayer and a secure cap so you don’t waste juice by accidentally pressing it. The mist is perfect. It gives just the right amount to feel like a real wear. Every vial has its own little paper sleeve, and they all sit snug in the main box. White cardboard with that beautiful purse tone graphic. Really smart way to explore all their scents.
The full bottle comes in a sturdy box that feels like a jewelry case. Very elegant and protective. The bottle itself has a sharp, minimal rectangular shape (and yes, as you can see in the images, it’s a nightmare to photograph without dust or fingerprints showing up). This one has a rich ruby red color with a clean white badge showing the brand name, perfume name, and Eau de Parfum concentration. Sprayer is great too. Providing a nice even mist.
The smells?
We tried all their fragrances from the discovery set, and at the end we’ll share our top 3 with quick thoughts. But first, the star of the show: Angels Rest.
So back to the lychee topic 😀
As we started this post, one of Maruša’s favorite notes is lychee. Here it sits alongside clove leaf, cypress, prickly pear, hellebore flower, sandalwood, and benzoin (These are all official notes from the brand)
Maruša finds it smells like a sweet tropical fruit salad with florals, super pleasant and vibrant. It’s worth mentioning that prickly pear isn’t something you see much in Slovenia if at all, but Daniel grew up in Chile where the fruit is everywhere in local flavors and called tuna. So for him, this one comes across as a straightforward mix of lychee and prickly pear with some floral undertones and quite a bit of sweetness.
Angels Rest is definitely a gourmand perfume. Maruša is picky with that style, but she really enjoys this one. Daniel? Not as much.
The development is pretty simple. We’d say it has only two main parts: a beginning and an end. Not much happening in the middle, which makes it a safe, easy grab if you love sweet gourmands. It goes from that fresh fruity opening with some florals straight into a mildly sweet woody drydown.
Longevity is good—4 to 5 hours on skin for us.
This perfume definitely leans feminine despite the unisex tag (just our opinion), and it’ll shine best in spring or autumn.
So those other 3 amazing picks from their sample set? Here you go:
Caliphoria: The perfect citrus champagne with a dash of salt and white flower petals. This one is the ultimate female New Year’s Eve perfume 🙂
Veil Noir: Delicious candied spicy leather and oud! (This was Daniel’s favorite.)
Mythic: A delightful sweet musky vanilla. Very close to the skin and incredibly gentle.
That was our take on EXCEED’s Angels Rest and our other top 3 from the discovery set. If it sparked your curiosity, check out their site here exceed.store/it
Disclosure: We reached out to EXCEED. They kindly sent us their sample set and a perfume of our choice for honest thoughts. All opinions here are 100% our own.
Hope you enjoyed the read and let us know if you’ve tried EXCEED and which perfume resonates with you the most!
Living fully, lightly scented 🌿
Thanks for stopping by. See you next time.
