GOLDFIELD & BANKS
MYSTIC BLISS

2024

PERFUMER
Florian Gallo

Kunzea
frankincense
fig
mint
cardamom
cassis

clary sage
caramel
geranium
juniper
immortelle
orris

cedarwood
sandalwood
labdanum absolute
vetiver

‘Opening with a sunrise that evokes diverse impressions of Flinders Island, Mystic Bliss is both illuminating and enchanting. The Kunzea, with its woody aromatic, and softening qualities, blends effortlessly with the resinous pepperiness and warmth of frankincense, capturing the island’s ancient and pristine essence. Hints of fig and mint introduce a refreshing coolness, with the fig growing ever more ripe alongside notes of cardamom and cassis.’ – Goldfield & Banks

Mystic Bliss averted my expectations a bit. I think I was expecting something more trendy and mass-appealing, because of the presentation. By traditional references, Mystic Bliss wears masculine leaning and it’s reminiscent of eau de colognes, with a twist at the end.

Fig is a good starting point to deconstruct the scent here, but this is not your creamy, smooth, fruity fig. Instead, Mystic Bliss is a mostly aromatic scent profile. Juniper is arguably the main component to my nose on first wear. Definitely in the first couple of hours the juniper stands out most to me.

Texture wise, it starts sparkling, a bit bitter, tart, and green. Aromatic spicy, with cold spices and a woody backbone. It becomes drier with the scent of peppers growing more prominently as it dries. A mature, cologne-style scent that I could appreciate, because it doesn’t have that cheaper aquatic showergel air that a lot of fragrances in this direction add.

What doesn’t show up as much or as soon as I was expecting, is the sweetness and the warmth. The brand’s description speaks of the warmth of incense and there’s a caramel note listed, but Mystic Bliss remains on the fresh and herbal side for a couple of hours on my skin. After a good 4-5 hours in, I went for a hike and sweated a bit and that’s when I started to notice the sweetness coming through for the rest of the drydown. Only then, I could picture the caramel lurking beneath the freshness. A pretty solid, sweeter, but still very much aromatic ending. It doesn’t warm or sweetens up as significantly as Purple Suede did.

For comparable fragrances, my mind went to juniper first; Acqua di Parma Ginepro di Sardegna or Headspace Genievre. I’d say Mystic Bliss feels spicier than those and grows warmer; it’s a more complex and longer lasting style of fragrance. It’s more on the aromatic side than most fig fragrances that I’m familiar with. In a broad direction it fits in with Carner Helix and Dusita Pelagos, both released around the same time as Mystic Bliss, but the Goldfield & Banks is easily the best pick in my opinion.

Overall, a good rejuvenating fragrance and nice addition to the Goldfield & Banks collection. It fits in the corner of Pacific Rock Moss & Blue Cypress. As mentioned, it’s less ‘modern’ and maybe less mass-appealing than I was expecting, but I can see it being a stand-out Goldfield & Banks, mainly for the male audience.