It’s very rare that I get a sample of perfume and it convinces me enough to buy it as I have a wishlist of perfumes as long as both my arms already that I want to try. But after receiving a random sample of this inside an order last year, I squeezed every last drop out of it. Before I knew it I was researching just where I could buy the Goldfield and Banks Sunset Hour perfume and alas, I found out it would be the priciest perfume I’ve ever purchased but I decided to blow the last of my 2021 beauty budget on it on New Year’s Eve.
Goldfield and Banks was a brand totally new to me, and after smelling the perfume and doing my research I was glad to learn it was a cruelty-free perfume brand that I would be able to purchase from. The brand is inspired by Australia and uses Australian Botanicals in the base of their fragrances, with each of the fragrances being inspired by a different area of the country – marked on the label. The majority of their perfumes only come in 100ml sizes, which is a little bit of a shame to me, I want to try smaller bottles of things before I commit to a huge bottle. Also sometimes I want smaller bottles that feel more travel friendly and the selection is rather limited on their own site (and non-existent on the UK retailer stockists).
Sunset Hour is one of the newest fragrances to Goldfield and Banks which is inspired by the town of Broome in Western Australia – a coastal town looking into the Indian Ocean, with a strong coral hue to the landscape which seems to mirror itself in the colour of the perfume. The packaging is simply – stunning – the slip over the box matches the perfume and the box is sturdily contained inside a white box inside, which reveals a heavy glass bottle that feels high quality and a wooden look cap in gold featuring the logo carved into the top. Whilst I like the look and feel of the sticker on the outside, I can’t help but feel as it is a paper touch it would mark up quite easily and get dirty – so it’s something to bear in mind to handle with clean fingers and maybe protect when travelling should you wish to take this with you on adventures.
Now onto the fragrance itself…
I really like fragrances that sit well balanced between the floral, fruity, warm, and gourmand categories. Those blend of fragrance categories can often take perfumes to be quite “generic” if they’re not handled well – and I find that it’s rare to find one that feels well-balanced whilst still being able to distinctly pick out the notes individually and the Goldfield & Banks Sunset Hour fragrance is just that.
Goldfield and Banks Sunset Hour Notes
- Fruity: Quandong, Desert Peach, Raspberry, Mandarin
- Floral: Jasmine Sambac
- Warm: Sandalwood, Ginger
- Woody: Cashmere Wood, Benzoin
- Spicy: Pink Pepper
From the first spritz, the fragrance doesn’t sit too much one way – the floral notes are detectable alongside the delicate notes of the Jasmine. The fragrance is warm and woody from the initial application, but I find that these become the stronger heart and base notes as they are the ones that linger on the skin more notably through the day, while the fruitier notes mellow into the skin. I like this fragrance as it feels very year-round appropriate to me – it’s one I can see myself wearing no matter what the weather which when I compare it to all my other fragrances, I find to be more seasonal. (However, that does scare me too as I’m likely to run through it much quicker than my Tom Ford Black Orchid bottle that previously lasted me 5 years!).
The longevity of wear is decent – as mentioned, it’s the most expensive perfume I own and was hoping that it would give me the eternal lasting power that Tom Ford Black Orchid does which skims in narrowly below in terms of price, and it doesn’t hit the mark in the same way – but I certainly don’t find that it’s disappointing and can still smell itself on me, although softer after a full 12-hour wear. However, that is also may be expected to be the case as the perfume’s sillage also does not really compare – although it definitely is noticeable to others as my partner rarely comments on my fragrance, he noted I must be wearing something new and just how much he liked it too. Since he has mentioned several times from across the room that “I’m wearing that new perfume again”.
Overall, I’m happy I purchased Goldfield and Banks Sunset Hour. In terms of its performance, it’s not the most staggering thing I’ve owned and I potentially expected a little more from the price point, but the packaging and the scent itself doesn’t let me down and I get a lot of pleasure every time I mist myself in this and I have to resist wearing it daily. It’s quickly becoming one of my favourite perfumes in my collection, and I can see it being a favourite throughout the year.
It’s a shame that places like Look Fantastic and Selfridges don’t seem to stock the smaller sizes, as there are a few on the list I would be willing to gamble on in the 50ml or 10ml sizes. However, my work is just opposite Selfridges, and next time I go to the office, I’ll be taking myself for a gander around the beauty hall to see if I can find these to smell in person. If you are into your fragrances and you want to treat yourself to a high-quality fragrance then I highly recommend giving this a try.
Have you heard of Goldfield and Banks yet?
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | Tumblr
Email: helplesswhilstdrying@gmail.com
