Heritage
A house, in its own words
Corey Newcombe launched Criminal Elements after years of experimenting with home‑grown blends and a growing collection of vintage perfume bottles – a hobby he jokingly described as “collecting enough doors”. The name emerged as a tongue‑in‑cheek jab at the skeptical locals who questioned his unconventional path. In 2015 the brand released its first public offerings, Hearth and Sepal, establishing a reputation for clean, elemental compositions. The following year, Tobacco Jam arrived, pairing a dry tobacco base with a jammy heart, a combination that quickly became a reference point for the house’s willingness to juxtapose disparate notes. 2019 marked a prolific period: Vigour, a herbaceous, vetiver‑centered scent, and the duo Ruben and Fall expanded the line into both masculine and autumnal territories. Neon (2020) introduced a brighter, more synthetic‑leaning palette while still respecting the brand’s minimalist ethos. Verge (2022) and Wicked Mistress (2023) continued the narrative, each exploring new thematic concepts without abandoning the laboratory‑inspired approach that defines the house. Throughout its evolution, Criminal Elements has remained a solo‑run operation, avoiding large‑scale distribution in favor of direct‑to‑consumer sales via its website and a modest social‑media presence. The brand’s growth has been steady, driven by word‑of‑mouth among niche‑fragrance enthusiasts rather than aggressive advertising, allowing it to retain an intimate, experimental spirit that reflects its founder’s original vision. The house treats perfume as a laboratory experiment rather than a commercial product. Corey Newcombe often says the studio is a place where art meets chemistry, and that credo shapes every decision. Ingredients are chosen for their intrinsic character, not for trend compliance, and each formula is built around a single, striking idea. The brand values transparency, so scent descriptions avoid vague superlatives and instead reference concrete notes – a dry tobacco base, a jammy heart, a clean vetiver core. Sustainability plays a quiet role; sourcing favors local Australian suppliers when possible, and the small‑batch model reduces waste by producing only what is ordered. Rather than chasing awards, Criminal Elements focuses on creating scents that invite curiosity and personal interpretation. The philosophy encourages wearers to view fragrance as a personal laboratory, a way to test how different notes interact with their own chemistry over time.