Weekly Waftings: Sampler Set Review – Ellis Brooklyn Library

Ok, it’s official: this series is now going to be referred to as ‘Weekly Waftings’ instead of ‘Wednesday Waftings.’ It gives your girl here much more flexibility (and much less anxiety) about having to scramble to only publish perfume-related posts on Wednesdays. Phew! 😌 This blog is forever a work in progress and I’m enjoying refining it and hopefully making it better and better as I learn and grow as a blogger.

Today’s featured sampler is perfect for anyone who has wanted to wear clean fragrances but felt that maybe they were too light, didn’t last long enough, or tend to only be mostly citrus-heavy scents. Ellis Brooklyn has created a library of fragrances that are truly high performing and diverse, there is something for every taste in this nicely curated collection.

The house was launched by New York Times beauty columnist Bee Shapiro in 2015. She was inspired to create a clean fragrance line after the birth of her first daughter, Ellis. She was also living in Brooklyn, hence the brand name ‘Ellis Brooklyn.’ A self-proclaimed nerd, all of the fragrances have literary nomenclature.

The library-themed packaging is very cute and quite sturdy. So sturdy, in fact, it’s a little tricky to get each vial out; they’re really packed in there tightly! The house has a few different samplers and travel-sized collections available, today I’ll be reviewing their Library Fragrance Discovery Set sampler.

(ed. note: since the publishing of this article, the sampler has been updated and is now known as the ‘Biography Fragrance Discovery Set’ – see updated link below)

Find it here:

Ellis Brooklyn Biography Fragrance Discovery Set w/ updated fragrances

Ellis Brooklyn – all available Discovery & Gift Sets

Myth

• Top Notes: bergamot, ambrette seeds (musk mallow), cassis
• Middle Notes: tiger orchid, pink lotus, jasmine petals
• Base Notes: patchouli, liquid musks, white cedarwood
• Other Notes Perceived: African orange flower, suede

The opening gives me a suede and orange flower vibe. It’s a soft, clean, neutral scent, in the family of Bal d’Afrique by Byredo or AERIN’s Aegea Blossom (which I just recently reviewed a couple weeks ago). Though it contains both musk mallow (ambrette) and liquid musk notes, it is not a musky or heavy scent at all. It’s very soft, feminine, and lightly powdery; I actually find a lot of this house’s scents to be on the powdery side. It’s clean with a slightly soapy or lotion-y vibe. Do you remember a popular shampoo from the 90’s called Systéme Biolage? This smells a lot like that. It reminds me of how you would smell after your wealthy aunt gave you a hug, lol She’s freshly back from getting her hair-dids at a slightly snooty salon and still smells like the expensive shampoo they used. 💇‍♀️😂

I can sum Myth up as a very inoffensive scent. Not in any way a bad fragrance, I think almost anyone would like this but probably no one is going to be wow’d by it. Certainly, it’s very, very safe for office wear as it’s decidedly mild and the projection is on the lighter side, it’s more of an intimate skin scent. Great longevity, it lasted about 6 hours for me. Bottom line: A good, safe, everyday scent to reach for.

Find it here:

Myth – 1.5ml sample

Myth – 7.5ml mini bottle

Myth – 7.5ml mini dabber, 10ml travel-spray, 50ml, 100ml bottle

Myth – 95ml Spectacular scented body oil

Rrose

• Top Notes: Sicilian lemon, cassis, pear
• Middle Notes: lotus blossom, peony, Centifolia rose petals
• Base Notes: cashmere woods, spring musks, vanilla orchid
• Other Notes Perceived: white florals, i.e. jasmine

Nope that’s not a typo, it’s actually spelled Rrose, with two R’s. The name is a nod to the famous artist Marcel Duchamp, who was deeply influential in the Cubism and Dadaism art movements, among other things. Rrose Sélavy (pronounced like ‘Eros, c’est la vie’) was Duchamp’s female alter ego. Duchamp was quite a fascinating character and I highly recommend reading more about him in your spare time, especially if you’re an art history nerd like me. 🎨🤓

Rrose is a lovely, delicate floral with lots of peony. It has a slightly aquatic feel due to the lotus. It also leans green and fresh with a very springy feel. There’s a tiny hint of sweetness probably from the vanilla, pear, cassis, and lemon but it’s not what I would call a sweet or gourmand scent. The lemon and rose both come out more fully in the dry down but the peony and white floral notes remain strong throughout wearing.

Great, classic floral, so feminine and sweet. This is an elegant, wedding day-worthy scent. Projection is good and with a longevity of 6+ hours, this is definitely a long-laster. Recommended for floral lovers in general but especially if you love a good peony/rose combo.

Find it here:

Rrose – 1.5ml sample

Rrose – 50ml bottle

Fable

• Top Notes: neroli, black currant
• Middle Notes: honeysuckle, petitgrain (derived from the twigs and leaves of the bitter orange tree, scent is woody/grassy), dewy violet
• Base Notes: crisp amber, cedarwood
• Other Notes Perceived: musk

Musk bomb alert! 😂 This fragrance is very, VERY heavy on the (unlisted) musk note when tested both on and off of my skin. The next most prominent notes are the honeysuckle and cedar. Definitely not a gourmand fragrance but there is a gentle sweetness with the black currant and honeysuckle. This is also a quite soapy/clean-feeling scent, between the cedar and musk.

The projection is moderate and it has good longevity, lasting about 5 hours for me. The musk and cedar push this into a unisex category. I actually think I would like this if it weren’t for the musk but it’s way too strong for my personal tastes and ruins the composition for me. Regular readers here know that musk is just gut-churning for me, unfortunately. But I know plenty of people are not bothered by it and some even love it. So putting aside my own issues, I would definitely recommend this fragrance for honeysuckle lovers who are ok with musk.

Ed. note: this perfume seems to now be discontinued but the scent is still available as a candle

Find it here:

Fable – 6.5oz Terrific scented candle

Raven

• Top Notes: mandarin, rhubarb
• Middle Notes: peony, pink lotus
• Base Notes: patchouli, blond woods, liquid musks
• Other Notes Perceived: amber

Guys, I don’t know how amber is not listed as a main note here – or even a note at all! The initial scent is SO resinous, with the patchouli quickly joining in. It’s a very strong, aromatic, woodsy patchouli. I can also detect the citrusy feel of the mandarin and lightly detect the lotus; there’s a slight aquatic feel. The rhubarb, peony, and musk are not strong players here, in my opinion. This babe is just super, SUPER heavy on the patchouli/amber vibe. You MUST love patchouli or you’ll hate this.

This is a very warm, woodsy, autumnal scent. It has the strong projection of a typical patch bomb so not a great scent for the office or close quarters with others. Even on a tester strip, this took over my entire living room. Great longevity. If you love your deep, dark, slightly sweet patchouli/amber ‘music festie’ scents (you know who you are!), you will love this one!

Ed. note: this perfume seems to now be discontinued but the scent is still available as a candle

Find it here:

Raven – 6.5oz Terrific scented candle

Rives

• Top Notes: neroli, petitgrain
• Middle Notes: orange flower, lavender
• Base Notes: cashmere woods, white suede
• Other Notes Perceived: vetiver

Oooh, this one is SHARP in the opening, it almost burned my nostril hairs, lol This is like a clean men’s aftershave with a touch of orangey citrus/neroli to it. Lots of fresh grass scent here, it’s heavy on the petitgrain. The clean, aromatic lavender is quite prevalent as well. Kind of bitter and quite astringent and soapy. The neroli is definitely just a short-lived top note and fades in the dry down which is kind of a bummer because I really like what it adds to this composition.

Rives is a unisex scent that presented as quite masculine on me personally. A lighter fragrance with more intimate projection and good longevity. Very safe office scent. Bottom line: smells like a man’s aftershave/soap. I’ve seen it compared to Irish Spring soap so if that classic scent is a nostalgic favorite for you, this will be worth sampling.

Ed. note: since the publishing of this article, this fragrance appears to have been completely discontinued. Best bet in finding it will probably be to try looking for a reputable seller on a marketplace site such as Mercari

Find it here (maybe?):

Rives EDP (search on Mercari)

Sci Fi

• Top Notes: bergamot, bitter orange
• Middle Notes: green tea, pink freesia
• Base Notes: cashmere woods, vanilla bean
• Other Notes Perceived: lavender

Sci Fi is Ellis Brooklyn’s vanilla offering with a fun name. The opening is very citrus-heavy with the bergamot and bitter orange notes quite prominent. As it dries down, it takes shape as a powdery vanilla aromatic. This is not your typical vanilla, though, and those looking for a sweet gourmand, and/or thick, ambery vanilla may be disappointed by this. Vanilla is not the star here, the aromatic green tea and powdery freesia are. I’m surprised lavender is not a listed note, as it has a very prominent lavender impression. This is SO similar to Coffee Break from Maison Margiela’s Replica line, I tested the two side-by-side and after the opening, the dry down is nearly identical. This has a slightly cooler opening and Coffee Break is slightly warmer but other than that, they’re virtually interchangeable. This fragrance also reminds me a lot of a B&BW shower gel I have called Whipped Almond Vanilla, they’re definitely in a similar aromatic lavender family. This is also in a very similar ballpark with Telegrama by Imaginary Authors.

This fragrance has a lighter projection, it’s definitely an intimate, office-friendly scent. The longevity is fine, about average. I do like this, it’s hard for me to not like a vanilla, but I would probably love it more without the green tea note. Tea notes are just not a personal fave for me. Still, it’s a cozy and soothing scent that I enjoy wearing to bed. That lavender/powdery vanilla feel is very calming.

Find it here:

Sci Fi – 10ml travel-spray, 50ml bottle

Fawn

• Top Notes: neroli, Sicilian bergamot, magnolia oil
• Middle Notes: Damask rose, lily of the valley, coconut milk
• Base Notes: amber, vanilla, musk
• Other Notes Perceived: salt water

This cheerful little ray of sunshine is a fun take on the summery coconut genre. The citrus of the bergamot and neroli combine really nicely with a salty coconut water. It has a light sweetness to it but I wouldn’t call it gourmand. It’s very slightly vanilla-powdery, too. There’s a little of the ‘Froot Loops’ vibe here that sweeter citrus scents can present. It’s ‘sophisticated sunscreen’ and a perfect summery/beach fragrance.

Projection is there but not overwhelming and mellow enough for office wear. Longevity is good. Young, fun, summertime vibes for miles, this little deer is a winner as far as I’m concerned.

Ed. note: I’m concerned this one may be discontinued, as well, as I am currently only seeing samples of it (as of Oct. 2024)

Find it here:

Fawn – 1.5ml sample

West

• Top Notes: blood orange, clementine, lemon, basil
• Middle Notes: pear blossom, waterlily, ginger
• Base Notes: vetiver, amber, oakmoss
• Other Notes Perceived: sea salt

This fragrance opens with a strong blast of the blood orange and a little bit of musk. That musk does fade in the dry down. The waterlily and oakmoss are also stand out notes for me, especially the oakmoss in the opening. Definitely salty, as well, I was surprised sea salt is not a listed note.

The oakmoss and vetiver have this leaning a touch masculine to my nose but it’s definitely unisex. The projection is good and it lasted about 5 hours for me. If you love woodsy blood orange fragrances, you will really enjoy this one.

Ed. note: since the publishing of this article, this fragrance appears to have been completely discontinued. Best bet in finding it will probably be to try looking for a reputable seller on a marketplace site such as Mercari

Find it here:

West EDP (search on Mercari)

So that’s my take on Ellis Brooklyn so far. The house has a few other intriguing-looking scents, as well. I’m especially keen to try Bee, their honey-forward scent which, I have to assume, is named for the brand’s founder, Bee Shapiro. With notes of honey, rum, vanilla, sandalwood, and cocoa absolute, this gourmand lover’s interest is definitely piqued! I think a travel-spray of it is in my not-too-distant future, for sure!

Have you tried anything by this natural, vegan, and cruelty-free fragrance house before? Did you discover a new scent here today that you’re interested in trying? As always, I love to read your comments so let me know! 🐝

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