SILKY WOODS by Goldfield & Banks

Whether you’re thinking about music, film, theatre or perfume, there are certain examples in every genre that demand to be referenced as the ultimate interpretation. This can be because they have captured the public’s imagination, maybe won the applause of the critics, but ultimately they stand alone on a pedestal. When it comes to perfume, there is arguably only one ingredient that truly bucks this trend. Oud has been a mainstay of the fragrance market since 2007, but its tenacity has made it challenging for many. It would take fourteen years for its heart to be truly revealed, and that was in Silky Woods from Goldfield & Banks.

Back in 2007 the world welcomed the ground-breaking Oud Wood from Tom Ford, which was created by perfumer Richard Herpin. This set in motion a “trend” that has never shown any signs of calming. We were buffeted from dense animalic abhorrences, through shrill synthetic recreations, and even got to experience deodorants that threw a dose of barn-yard aroma under the armpits. Who ever thought that last one was a good idea?! There were obviously some pleasantries along the way, but it would be under the name of Goldfield & Banks that a balance was finally achieved.

Dimitri Webber founded Goldfield & Banks in 2016 out of a love of Australia, which is now home for the Belgium-born scent explorer. He became intrigued by the flora and fauna of the country, and took these incredible plants as the basis for the creations. Many had never been used or referenced in perfumery before, and this just added to the thrill. Dimitri decided to use a particular ingredient as the focus for each Goldfield & Banks fragrance, and it was this direction that added a real heart to the company and their scents, and what has ensured a loyal following.

Silky Woods launched in 2021 and was the first fragrance in their new Botanical Series. Still continuing the ingredient-focus, perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani took sustainably harvested agarwood, aka oud, from Tropical Queensland but exploded its facets with complimentary ingredients. It ultimately became a celebration of the scented diversity that Australia had to offer. By this point there had been many oud-based fragrances, and so the challenge was presenting it in an original and captivating way. With nods to saffron, ylang and sandalwood, it absolutely lived up to its promise of being “luxuriously sensual”.

Silky Woods opens with a delicious blend of saffron and jasmine, which instantly conjures a feeling of tropical sunshine, before being added to by ylang ylang. This brings with it a banana nuance, perfectly paired with the emerging cinnamon, before the star of the show appears. The agarwood comes through with a gorgeous depth of character, decidedly more fur coats than farmyard, and is superbly supported by a peppered suede and tobacco leaf duo that gives a textural effect to the fragrance. With a final wash of sweetened sandalwood and a whisper of incense, Silky Woods makes oud wonderfully accessible and brings Australia within reach.

Silky Woods is available from the Goldfield & Banks website at goldfieldandbanks.com, as well as Harrods, priced at £186 for 100ml, £132 for 50ml and £36 for 10ml. [Sample provided by Phoenix Beauty]