In this article, I will be reviewing Goldfield & Banks' "Southern Bloom". This is a Perfume Concentrate (Harvest 2017/2018).
About Goldfield & Banks Australia
Goldfield & Banks describes itself as:
"Legend has it that Sandalwood is born and grows on Australian fields of gold. Australia's first fine fragrance house Goldfield & Banks is a luxurious and precious collection of gender-free fragrances featuring exceptional, pure and rare Australian essences and oils unexplored in modern perfumery.
Native botanicals have been carefully extracted to create a new and unique olfactive Australian dream. One of burning deserts, sparkling coastal vistas and deep, beautifully scented forests. The native collection offers exoticism and the ultimate botanical dream from Down Under. All our fragrances come in a perfume concentrate so enjoy an olfactory richness and woody depth that can only be distilled from the purest Australian and global essences. Our Australian perfumes are meticulously crafted by Dimitri Weber and in consultation with world’s best perfumers from Grasse, Paris, Dubai and New York. Goldfield & Banks celebrates the extraordinary beauty of the country and its botanical richness and pays tribute to the exceptional purity, idyllic climate and richness of soil that has made Australia a fertile continent like no other. Long renowned as the home of clean beauty trends, Australia is now the new fragrance frontier cultivating locally the world’s most prestigious perfume ingredients in a serene and green environment.
Falling in love with Australia’s lush, aromatic and botanical beauty, its sweeping plains, turquoise fringed coasts, ochre red interiors and harsh, dramatic landscapes – Dimitri Weber created GOLDFIELD & BANKS AUSTRALIA to capture the fragrant essences of these stunning elements and let them become his tribute to the unique, lustrous and extraordinary beauty of the Australian continent.
This quest to develop a botanical dream from a timeless land, Dimitri Weber has created a luxurious and precious collection of gender-free fragrances featuring exceptional pure and rare Australian essences and oils unexplored in modern perfumery.
Our perfumes are a celebration of the abundance of organic ingredients in Australia, and the home-grown innovation with which they are transformed into essences coveted across the globe." (source link)
It is interesting to note that they describe their fragrances as being "unisex".
What is a "Perfume Concentrate?
I believe that besides obviously smelling great, one of the key selling points of Goldfield & Banks, is that they describe their fragrances as "Perfume Concentrate". I tried looking up for the meaning of "perfume concentrate" and I wasn't successful.
Having reviewed so many fragrances, as far as I know, there are six categories. I briefly touch on this in an article I wrote in 2018: https://www.teacupofmakeup.com/single-post/fragrance-story-method
I did find this really good summary of types of perfume by https://www.fragrancescience.com/ :
“Parfum”, “Parfum Extrait”, “Extrait de Parfum”, “Perfume Extract”, “ pure perfume” or “Elixir” is the strongest concentration of fragrance and can have between 15% and 40% of aromatic compounds. International Fragrance Association (IFRA) says that 20% is to most common concentration for this type of perfume. It is also the most expensive variant, it comes in very small bottles and it is used in very low quantities (or at least it should be.) It gives long-lasting fragrance and its scent can be very heavy.
Esprit de Parfum (marked EsdP) has a concentration between 15% and 30%. It is a rare concentration on the market but it is famous because it is a concentraition that Dior made their “Poison” from the 1980s in.
Eau de Parfum (EdP), Parfum de Toilette (PdT) has between 10% and 20% (but usually 15%) of aromatic compounds. It became popular and today can be the highest concentration in which some of the perfumes can be found.
Eau de Toilette (EdT): perfume of 5% to 15% concentration (usually 10%.) It is the most common concentration which is used to make a cheaper and more affordable variant of more expensive perfumes. It is sold in larger bottles because it has an atomizer which sprays more liquid.
Eau de Cologne (EdC): is a type of Chypre citrus perfume that has between 3% and 8% aromatic compounds. It originated in Cologne (Köln), Germany and was mixed for the first time by Johann Maria Farina in 1709. It became popular very soon (especially with royalty) until the point that even the local apothecaries and pharmacies throughout Europe started making and selling their variants.
Perfume Mist, Brume de Parfum, Voile de Parfum, Eau Parfumée, or Eau Sans Alcohol has the same concentration as EdC (5% – 8%) but its solvent is not alcohol (hence the name). It is the lightest variant of a feminine perfume and it is made without alcohol because it uses aerosol propellant which can send perfume into the eyes which can, of course, be dangerous. This variant is also non-phototoxic and can be worn while sunbathing.
Splash and aftershave : very low in aromatic compound (just 1% – 3%) and because of that their scent doesn’t last long.
Classical cologne : a name for both men’s and women’s fragrances that are similar to Chypre perfumes in that they are made of citrus blends but they are not made of perfumes of greater concentration but are standalone."
On the FAQS section of Goldfields & Banks website, I found this:
Under "Are your fragrances long lasting?": All our fragrances have concentrations of at least 20% fragrance oil.
So, I would hazard an educated guess (based on what they said above and price point) and say that the Goldfield & Banks Perfume Concentrate are in the middle of Esprit de Parfums and Eau de Parfums. More likely Eau de Parfum, based on the price point.
(sorry for the long windedness, I was just curious and had to solve this question for myself).
Goldfield & Banks Southern Bloom
Goldfield & Banks Perfumes retails in the range of AURRP249 -229. You can find them online very easily. This fragrance was gifted to me by TVSN. (Shop it at TVSN)
For the other fragrances, start with https://www.goldfieldandbanks.com/
Southern Bloom retails for AUDRRP249.
Southern Bloom is described by its makers as:
"Southern Bloom honours the rare and enchanting native scented flower, the Boronia during its short September ‘spring-bloom’, on Australia’s southernmost island, Bruny off the coast of Tasmania.
The absolute of boronia is distinctive and one of the most expensive perfume materials in the world.
An immediately lavish, pure and sensational floral-woody fragrance, with a smooth, velvety sensation and glimpses of exquisite green notes combined with red coloured fruity notes. Opulent, feminine, sophisticated and intensely luxurious."
Notes:
Boronia Absolute Tasmania
Jasmine Sambac India
Cassis France
Sandalwood Australia
Vetiver Indonesia
Ylang Ylang Madagascar
Coconut Accord
Iris Italy
It is described as the following words in terms of tones:
Floral
Creamy
Pure
Exotic
Opulent
My Review of Southern Bloom Goldfield & Banks
My Thoughts on Southern Bloom:
The Bottle: It comes in a clear glass rectangle bottle. The enchanting bit is the bottle top. It is made from wood and painted lightly with gold tones. The brand name is printed on top. There is a sticker that provides the name and details (as you can see in the photo above). I've noticed that the colour of the fragrances vary, and so the clear glass bottle is essential. The colour of the fragrance lends itself to the bottle design. It is neither feminine nor masculine in design. I can see couples sharing these fragrances.
The Scent: Complex. I get a hit of so many notes at the same time. I'm immediately hit with jasmine, ylang ylang coconut, sandalwood. There's something about this fragrance that makes me want to just dig deeper into it. An odd description no doubt but that's how it makes me feel. Like digging into a basket of greens, florals and tropical fruits. There is a weight to it, a richness. At first, it smells very masculine. Then the florals come through and things start to get creamy. Delicious. It is not a sweet scent. You definitely start to smell the iris, cassis, and vetiver. I've never smelled a pure Boronia Absolute Tasmania before, but Boronia's are described as : "Boronia Absolute has a deep, rich aroma; initially combining the natural green freshness of cassis with the earthy character of ripening hay. It develops exotic fruit undertones of yellow freesias with a somewhat woody dry-out. In other words, it's complex, distinctive, and a little goes a long way." (source link).
It's true! this is a deep and rich aroma!
The Dry Down: It took about 7-8 hours to dry down. At the end you get more of the woody tones with just a touch of sweetness from the cassis.
The Tastes: Complex! It "tastes" a bit like rose and orange poppy seed cake with cottage cheese icing and juicy plump currants. It doesn't smell like that, but I get that "taste" in my mouth from inhaling it. The coconut adds a bit of vanilla.
The Colours: Oh, such pretty colours! There are violets, browns and golds.
The Feelings: I definitely feel transported. I remember we once took a road trip around NSW and there was this place that we drove through that had fields and hills just covered in purple flowers. The sky was such a rich blue and there were just a few wisps of clouds. The Sun shining brightly. We were the only ones on the road as far as the eye can see. I often think that Heaven must look like that. I can't remember the location, but I remember it vividly. Southern Bloom reminds me of that place.
The Wear Time: A good 7-8 hours. It gently fades to sandalwood, ylang ylang and cassis.
Suggested occasions to wear this: This smelt fabulous on my husband. I think I even said he smelt sexy. Probably a bit much for every day office wear, but for all other occasions, I think I would wear it. I think it is a lovely one for date nights, and evening events.
Overall: A beautiful, rich, complex and deep unisex fragrance. This is one of the more expensive fragrances from Goldfield & Banks. You can just tell from the oils used and my nose can sense that they have been generous.
I hope you enjoyed this fragrance story! Please do subscribe to my blog (see various (they are irritating and I am sorry about that) pop up boxes or sign up in the box below). Drop me an email (tashi@teacupofmakeup.com) or DM me on my Instagram (@teacupofmakeup_bytashijadebell) and let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions for me. I always love hearing from you.
Yours Truly with Lots of Love, TeacupOfMakeup. 待会见! 可爱的小茶杯!
Disclaimer: All of the photos here are taken by me. You cannot use them without obtaining my written permission first. These are my personal views and I do not any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. Souther Bloom were gifted to me by TVSN with no obligation to post about it.
