First Impressions – Goldfield & Banks, BDK Parfums

Goldfield & Banks – Silky Woods – Silky Woods is Goldfield & Banks’ debut scent in their Botanical Series”. The fragrance is a showcase for agarwood, harvested sustainably in the Daintree Rainforest in Northern Queensland. Despite Queensland being my home state, I rather embarrassingly admit that I haven’t been to the Daintree. The furthest north I’ve been is the Townsville/Ingham area, which is still about 400 odd kilometres south of the rainforest. Therefore, I can’t confirm or deny whether this smells anything like the area.

My first thought would be no. A cursory glance of the bottle would give you an idea of how this smells. Vanilla and cinnamon certainly dominate. Silky Woods evokes warm vanilla custard. Lingering in the background are some creamy woods, with banana-like nuances of Ylang-ylang providing a floral facet. If there’s oud, it is light, barely detectable, and certainly isn’t medicinal or animalic. I never get the impression I’m anywhere near a forest when wearing it. Smells good, but the 299 dollar price tag for a bottle seems a little steep.

BDK Parfums – Sel d’Argent – I knew from the get-go this one wouldn’t be for me. A salty floral, aquatic scent that smells overly synthetic. It’s sharp and metallic and, despite my best efforts, I had to wash it off on the several occasions I attempted to wear it. If you like salty scents, give it a go, but for me, Sel d’Argent belongs on the bottom of the ocean. 

BDK Parfums – Citrus Riviera – BDK’s other new fresh scent is an entirely different affair. The bright and uplifting Ralf Schwieger composition brings together lemon, mandarin, and neroli against a background of eucalyptus, green notes, and immortelle. It should bring a smile to even the most stony-faced perfume lover. Along the lines of the Atelier Cologne scents. Very nice work.

Have you tried any of these new releases?

Note – Bottle images courtesy of Google. Samples obtained by the author.