Bee
Eau de Parfum
Ellis Brooklyn
Statement
Ellis Brooklyn
Clean, vegan fragrances inspired by modern American life.
About Ellis Brooklyn
Ellis Brooklyn was officially debuted in June 2015 by Bee Shapiro, a former New York Times Style Section beauty columnist. The brand began after Shapiro found there were no sophisticated clean fragrance options while cleaning up her beauty routine during pregnancy in 2013. The name comes from her daughter Ellis and the Brooklyn neighborhood where the idea took shape.
The brand positions itself as a clean, eco-conscious perfume company built around vegan and cruelty-free formulas. Its own messaging emphasizes modern American life, and the collection is shaped around everyday moments, places, and stories rather than abstract luxury codes. That gives Ellis Brooklyn a more contemporary, approachable identity than many traditional niche houses.
Across the range, the house leans toward wearable compositions that feel polished, transparent, and easy to understand, with enough character to stand out in the clean fragrance segment. It has grown from a small clean-beauty concept into a broader fragrance player with award-winning positioning and wide retail distribution.
At a Glance
The Brand
Founded
2015
Founder
Bee Shapiro
Country
United States
Category
Indie
Scent Personality
Worth It?
Scent DNA
Fresh floral
musky
woody
amber
- Ellis Brooklyn fragrances are usually polished, airy, and easy to wear, with a clean-beauty structure that keeps compositions readable rather than dense
- The brand tends to favor soft musks, transparent florals, and smooth woods over heavy gourmand or animalic effects
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
Typical Performance
Longevity
Moderate
Projection
Moderate
Positioning
A indie, premium house known for fresh floral compositions.
How It Compares
- → Cleaner and softer than Le Labo
- → More approachable than Byredo
- → Less gourmand than Kayali
- → More modern-clean than Jo Malone London
Who It's For
Best For
- everyday wear
- office settings
- spring and summer
- clean-fragrance fans
- people who want vegan cruelty-free perfume
Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
- easy to wear
- clean modern aesthetic
- good retail accessibility
- strong identity in the clean-fragrance space
Weaknesses
- can feel soft or linear
- less dramatic than classic niche brands
- some compositions may read similar to one another
Brand Evolution
The brand started as a response to the lack of sophisticated clean fragrance options and has stayed close to that brief. Over time, it has expanded from a founder-led indie concept into a broader lifestyle fragrance brand with more distribution and visibility. The aesthetic has remained consistent: wearable, modern, and clean-forward rather than ornate or overly avant-garde.
Quick Verdict
Ellis Brooklyn is a strong pick if you want clean, polished, easy-to-wear fragrance without the sterile feel some clean brands have. It is not the place for huge sillage or highly complex compositions, but it does know exactly what it is.
