Bee Shapiro spent eleven years writing about beauty for the New York Times before founding Ellis Brooklyn in 2015. When she became pregnant with her daughter Ellis, she faced a personal problem that would shape the business. She wanted luxury fragrance, but paraben-free and phthalate-free. She could not find it. The gap between luxury and non-toxic seemed total.
Shapiro decided to close it herself. She launched Ellis Brooklyn that year with a small collection of Eau de Parfums created by perfumer Jérôme Epinette. The first four releases came packaged as scented lotions: Myth, Fable, Raven, and Rrose. Every formula was crafted vegan, cruelty-free, and without parabens or phthalates, the latter an ingredient linked to possible reproductive health concerns.
This was not greenwashing. Phthalates are used in fragrance to fix scent and extend longevity. Removing them means your perfume does not last as long. The brand accepted that trade-off. Shapiro, as a writer, understood something others did not: luxury fragrance does not need chemical fixes to earn the title. Better ingredients and better composition can do the work.
Ellis Brooklyn builds in small batches in upstate New York. The brand remains independent and founder-led, controlled by Shapiro's editorial vision. Each release is tied to a specific idea or memory, which keeps the work from drifting into generic wellness marketing. Myth is built around the mythic male archetype. Fable carries narrative weight, not just a scent profile. That distinction, between fragrance as story and fragrance as product, runs through everything the house makes.
Ten years on, Ellis Brooklyn has moved beyond that founding contradiction. The brand now proves that luxury and safety are not opposites. The house has set a standard in the niche sector, making it harder for rivals to claim quality whilst using banned ingredients without scrutiny.
Explore Tropic Nectar, our dupe of Miami Nectar by Ellis Brooklyn, and experience luxury without compromise. Browse our full Ellis Brooklyn collection for paraben-free and phthalate-free luxury fragrances.
