Elle Elle by Lucien Lelong (1948)

Elle, Elle by Lucien Lelong was launched in 1948, in the first few years following the end of World War II—a period marked by rebirth, reinvention, and the return of sensuality to fashion and fragrance. The name Elle, Elle, pronounced like “L. L.” in French (as in “el-el”), was a clever play on Lucien Lelong’s initials. Beyond simply branding, the name also evokes a sense of femininity—elle means “she” in French—suggesting a fragrance designed to represent the ultimate expression of womanhood. Repeating the word (Elle, Elle) gives it a poetic rhythm, almost like a whispered incantation, mysterious and alluring. It conjures an image of an elegant, self-assured woman—sophisticated, enigmatic, and entirely in control of her allure.

The late 1940s was a turning point. After the austerity of wartime, the world—particularly Paris—was ready for luxury again. Christian Dior had just introduced his New Look in 1947, emphasizing femininity with cinched waists, full skirts, and decadent fabrics. Perfume followed suit. Fragrances became more voluptuous, more daring, and often leaned heavily into opulence—florals were deeper, orientals darker and more animalic. Into this atmosphere came Elle, Elle, composed by the master perfumer Jean Carles. It was, fittingly, a rich and animalic oriental with sweet, woody notes and a pronounced mossy base—a perfume that felt like brocade against bare skin.

In terms of its structure and style, Elle, Elle was very much in step with the late-1940s trend toward sensual, almost decadent fragrances. It joined the ranks of powerfully feminine perfumes that sought to reclaim glamour and seduction after years of utilitarian scents worn during the war. Its heavy moss overtone and animalic character gave it depth and mystery—qualities that would have appealed to women newly embracing freedom and self-expression.

To wear Elle, Elle in its time was to make a statement—not only of style but of self-possession. It was the kind of perfume that left a trail, that clung to furs and silk scarves, and that mirrored the resurgence of couture. Interpreted in scent, the name speaks to the duality of womanhood—soft and sweet, yet earthy and primal. It was not a subtle fragrance, but rather one that enveloped its wearer, drawing others into its embrace. As such, Elle, Elle stood both with its contemporaries and apart from them—a signature scent for women ready to define themselves again in a newly liberated world.

Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? Elle, Elle by Lucien Lelong is classified as a very heavy, animalic oriental perfume with sweet, woody notes. This perfume is a pronounced Autumn fragrance with a heavy moss type overtone.

• Top notes: aldehydes, Calabrian bergamot, Italian neroli, Moroccan orange blossom, angelica, Roman chamomile, daisy, Hungarian clary sage, lily of the valley, hydroxycitronellal, Polish blackcurrant bud 

• Middle notes: Nossi-Be ylang ylang oil, Portuguese tuberose absolute, Spanish mimosa absolute, Yemeni opoponax, Jamaican nutmeg, Ceylon cinnamon leaf, cinnamic alcohol, Grasse jasmine absolute, indole, Turkish rose absolute, Florentine orris butter, methyl ionone, Zanzibar carnation, Indian cumin, English celery seed and carrot seed, Malaysian patchouli 

• Base notes: Persian galbanum, Tonkin musk, musk ketone, Indian musk ambrette, ambergris, Abyssinian civet, Canadian castoreum, Mysore sandalwood, Venezuelan tonka bean, coumarin, Siam benzoin, Balkans oakmoss, Mexican vanilla, vanillin, Cyprus labdanum, woodsy notes, Sumatran styrax, South American guaiacwood, birch tar, cade oil, Colombian tolu balsam, hay absolute, Virginian tobacco absolute

Scent Profile:

As you lift the stopper from the bottle of Elle, Elle, from the very first breath, it’s evident that this is no delicate floral—it is dense, smoldering, and deeply animalic, like the velvet hush of autumn dusk settling into the woodlands. The top accord begins with the familiar, bracing sparkle of aldehydes, their metallic fizz conjuring a glint of champagne in the cold air. Immediately following is the rich citrus rind of Calabrian bergamot, brighter and more nuanced than its counterparts, its oil drawn from the sun-drenched groves along the Ionian coast. It pairs beautifully with the intensely green, honeyed bloom of Italian neroli, the oil from the bitter orange tree’s blossoms. Moroccan orange blossom adds depth—less green than neroli, more sultry, sun-drenched and nectarous.

A whisper of angelica root rises—earthy, musky, and damp like forest undergrowth, followed by Roman chamomile, its sweet hay-like scent bringing a rustic gentleness. The addition of daisy—not commonly distilled—evokes soft green stems crushed in hand, a powdery whisper at best. Hungarian clary sage lends a sharp herbal warmth, edged with an ambery muskiness. Lily of the valley, though almost always rendered through synthetics, is represented by hydroxycitronellal, its fresh, dewy green character enhancing the top with a soft, springlike sheen. Then comes the dark, catty green of Polish blackcurrant bud—a sharp contrast that pierces through the florals like a shattered leaf, adding tension and intrigue to the opening act.

As the perfume blooms on the skin, its heart is unabashedly narcotic. The lush, banana-cream floral of Nossi-Bé ylang ylang oil from Madagascar brings an opulent weight, rounded by the sultry tuberose absolute from Portugal—creamy, rubbery, and suggestive. Spanish mimosa absolute, with its powdery sweetness and airy pollen-like quality, hovers like golden dust in the sunlight. Yemeni opoponax, a sweet myrrh, anchors the florals with its honeyed, balsamic richness.

Jamaican nutmeg and Ceylon cinnamon leaf warm the center with their oily spice—less confectionary and more raw and earthy. Cinnamic alcohol, a soft, warm aromatic molecule, mimics the cinnamon but adds a woody-floral transparency, allowing light to pass through the dense core. The heart is then saturated with Grasse jasmine absolute, intoxicatingly indolic, made even more so by the explicit inclusion of indole itself—dirty, heady, animalic. This is not a polite jasmine, but one brimming with sensuality.

Turkish rose absolute deepens the richness, less airy than other roses and instead velvety and red. The buttery, rooty luxury of Florentine orris butter follows, composed of aged rhizomes whose powdery softness is unmatched, and heightened here with methyl ionone, adding a sweet, woody, violet-floral nuance. Zanzibar carnation lends its spicy, clove-like edge, softened by the warmth of Indian cumin, and the green bitterness of English celery seed and carrot seed, vegetal and aromatic, punctuating the heart with an herbal sharpness. Malaysian patchouli, rich and smooth, slightly chocolatey, begins to signal the perfume’s descent into its shadowed base.

And what a base it is—Elle, Elle anchors itself in darkness. Persian galbanum opens the door with its bitter green bite, almost resinous in weight, anchoring the remaining floral tones into a more shadowed realm. Then comes the crescendo of Tonkin musk—the real, historic kind, animalic and soft as skin. It’s echoed in musk ketone and Indian musk ambrette, the latter vegetal but musky in the most elegant way. A deep sea note of ambergris glistens within, salty, ambery, and slightly animalic, giving a plush radiance to the lower register.

A trio of animalics—Abyssinian civet, Canadian castoreum, and the musk—build a base of primal depth: warm fur, dark skin, a lived-in sensuality. Mysore sandalwood gives the perfume its creamy, milky-wood backbone, softened by Venezuelan tonka bean and coumarin, which lend a sweet hay-like whisper. Siam benzoin offers a resinous, golden sweetness, while Balkans oakmoss lends its unmistakable damp forest green, the essence of the "moss overtone" that defines this perfume’s mood. Mexican vanilla and vanillin swirl together to create a final, smooth sweetness—real vanilla's boozy-spice offset by the creamy caramel of its synthetic twin.

Cyprus labdanum, dark and leathery, is resinous and slightly balsamic. Sumatran styrax and South American guaiacwood add smoky, leathery woods. Birch tar and cade oil increase this with their inky, burnt-wood qualities—evoking campfire ash and old leather. Colombian tolu balsam, syrupy and cinnamon-tinged, and Virginian tobacco absolute, with its honeyed, slightly bitter warmth, round out the base with a final whisper of dried leaves and autumn air. The drydown lingers for hours—warm skin, earth, moss, spice, and resin all interwoven like a fine cashmere scarf left with a trace of the wearer’s scent.

This is a perfume that conjures heavy drapery, shadowy salons, polished wood, and the richness of early evening in a world that moved more slowly. It is unafraid of intimacy, of animalic truth, of earth and skin. A bold fragrance that defined sensuality in an age when women were redefining their place in the postwar world.

L'Illustration - Issues 5143-5155, 1941:

"ELLE, ELLE." Voici le nouveau parfum qu! 01"" de lancer LUCIEN LELONG."

The New Yorker, 1947:

" Lucien Lelong — "Elle, Elle," for the sophisticate, "Passionnement," for the very young.."

Bottes:

Fate of the Fragrance:

Launched in 1948, Elle, Elle by Lucien Lelong was introduced during a period of elegance and transformation in post-war France, when haute couture and perfumery were regaining their footing after the hardships of World War II. This luxurious oriental fragrance was tailored for the sophisticated woman of the late 1940s, capturing the mood of a society seeking refinement and sensuality after years of austerity.

Though the exact date of discontinuation remains unknown, Elle, Elle was still being sold as late as 1961, suggesting it had a respectable presence in the market for over a decade. Its longevity hints at a loyal following and an appeal that endured beyond fleeting trends. The fragrance's opulent, animalic character—with mossy, sweet woody notes—suited the richly layered fashions of the era and the preference for bold, expressive perfumes.

Its name, a clever play on Lelong's own initials ("LL"), added a personal signature to the perfume and gave it a chic French identity. Positioned between the elegance of the late 1940s and the evolving styles of the early 1960s, Elle, Elle bridged two distinct periods of feminine identity—one rooted in postwar glamour, and the other moving toward the sleek modernism of the new decade.