Ellis Brooklyn

Clean, vegan fragrances inspired by modern American life.

Indie Official Website Also known as: Ellis Brooklyn

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.

Certifications

We report other people's certifications, never our own. Every claim links to its source.

Cruelty-free Certified by PETA Beauty Without Bunnies · Check the register · We last checked Sept 2026
Vegan Certified by PETA Beauty Without Bunnies · Check the register · We last checked Sept 2026

Part-range claims show here only, not on perfume pages - we cannot say which bottles they cover. How we record certifications

At a Glance

The Brand

Founded 2015

Founder Bee Shapiro

Country United States

Category Indie

Scent Personality

Sweetness

Moderate

Freshness

High

Boldness

Mild

Uniqueness

Moderate

Worth It?

Price £££

Value

High

Accessibility

High

The Range

Ellis Brooklyn

Full span (10th-90th) Typical (median)

What's in this view

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

Pink Pepper

Bergamot

Lemon

Pear

Blackcurrant

Heart Notes

Peony

Coconut

Orange Blossom

Jasmine

Rose

Base Notes

Musk

Cedar

Sandalwood

Amber

Typical Performance

Longevity

Moderate

Projection

Moderate

Positioning

An 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.