The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Goldfield & Banks built their Botanical Series around a specific proposition: take Australian native ingredients and apply classical perfumery technique. Silky Woods Elixir is the culmination of that idea. The house has access to Australian oud through parent company Firmenich, and rather than compete with Middle Eastern oud on sheer power, they chose to layer it with creamy woods and warm balsamic notes that smooth the rough edges. The result is an oud that doesn't demand an apology. Olivier Cresp and Hamid Merati-Kashani are the noses behind the 2023 release, Cresp known for his work across mass and niche, Merati-Kashani bringing a grounding in resinous, smoky materials from his background with Iranian-inspired compositions.
What makes Silky Woods Elixir work is restraint within intensity. The vanilla doesn't overpower, it warms the oud into something that reads as refined rather than aggressive. The guaiac wood and cypriol give the smoky, slightly tar-like character that makes oud believable, but Clearwood and Peru balsam refine it into something that stays close to the skin rather than projecting into the room. Rose and orris root provide the unexpected counterpoint, powdery, slightly waxy florals that keep the woods from becoming one-note. It's the combination that makes this version of Silky Woods feel richer and more complex than its predecessor.
The evolution
The opening announces itself firmly. Saffron leads, red and slightly bitter, with the green bite of fig leaf underneath and the warm woodiness of guaiac wood building behind it. Cypriol contributes a tar-like, earthy quality that keeps the top from reading as purely sweet, this is smoky at its most honest. Around the thirty-minute mark, the vanilla arrives. Not loud. Creamy, lactonic, a counterweight to the bitterness. The rose and orris root become apparent in the mid-range, adding a powdery, waxy floral layer that softens the whole structure. From hour two onward, the woods take over. Australian oud, guaiac, Clearwood, a smoky, creamy, resinous base that projects strongly for hours. Ambroxan adds an ambergris-like quality, a faint salty sweetness that rounds the edges. The drydown on skin is intimate and long-lasting, this is the fragrance that stays closest to you after everything else fades. A warm, woody skin-scent that lingers another four to six hours on fabric.
Cultural impact
Silky Woods Elixir was a finalist in Indie Fragrance of the Year at The Fragrance Foundation Awards 2025, a significant recognition for a niche house working with Australian-native ingredients at scale. It sits in a crowded space of smoky, oud-adjacent fragrances but distinguishes itself through the restraint of its balsamic structure and the quality of its drydown. Wearers describe it as the scent of someone who doesn't need to announce themselves, confident, warm, and content to linger.
