Peace be upon each of you. My favorite favorite release from 2025 out of any fragrance house is Pacific Rock Flower by Goldfield and Banks.
As I write this review, I'm currently spinning the record "Ms." by David Oliver (may he rest in peace), and will follow it with "In The Mood" by Tyrone Davis (may he rest in peace).
What I love about Goldfield and Banks is that they typically partner with Givaudan to use their proprietary equipment and techniques to extract the raw materials needed out of fruit, plants, and other items in nature that are native to Australia, and then put those into fragrances.
My initial favorite fragrance from Goldfield and Banks was Pacific Rock Moss, followed by Bohemian Lime, with Sunset Hour being third place. When I heard that Goldfield and Banks was making a "younger sibling" to Pacific Rock Moss, I was all in. I purchased it, sight unseen and had not smelled it. I got two bars of the soap of it, too. The day it arrived, as soon as I opened the box, the smell of the soap floated up in the air, and I knew I had a winner.
The top notes are Sea Salt, Australian Coastal Tea Tree, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia (Bergamot) Peel Oil, and Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil. The top notes alone are a home run. The Australian Coastal Tea Tree has white flowers that grow from the mist of the sea and plenty of sunlight. It is so incredibly tranquil. Earlier in life, I went through some traumatic events, and certain scents help center me. This note is definitely one of them. The combination of the Tea Tree, Bergamot Peel Oil, Lemon Peel Oil, and Sea Salt give a magnificent aquatic scent profile. The master perfumer for this fragrance is Ms. Emilie Bouge. She has a catalogue of stellar fragrances that she composed. If you remember her work in 2023 as the master perfumer of Hydra Figue by Miller Harris (my favorite marine scent and my favorite fig scent of 2023), it is evident why Goldfield and Banks hired her to do this project.
When we get to the heart notes, we have Cocowax, Coral Flower, Tuberose, Pelargonium Graveolens (Sweet Scented Geranium) Flower Oil, and Eucalyptus Globulus Oil. At this point, we are now officially on a vacation at a villa where there is a cool breeze, the sun either at early dawn or late dusk, the water is gently crashing on the shores, and the air has some of the best smelling flora in the world. You have a glass of ice water or freshly squeezed juice, and all is well in your life.
The base notes are Australian Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli, Vanillin, and Australian Coastal Moss. This is the best iteration of sandalwood that Goldfield and Banks has produced. The patchouli is suttle, and wears the vanillin like a blanket. The moss is a nod to Pacific Rock Flower's older sibling, Pacific Rock Moss. The moss this time is quieter, as to let the other notes shine.
On the days that I use the Pacific Rock Flower soap, and then use the fragrance itself, the scent pops like you would not believe. This is not a "beast mode" or super long-lasting scent, nor should it be expected to be with the amount of natural ingredients used. I typically get about four to five hours of nice projection, and then use some refresher sprays.
When I wear this, as soon as I get to work, I get multiple compliments. On days where I need a calming presence, I wear this and think of the days when I was a little fella, my Dad was alive, and his presence gave a sense of safety. Even though the environment around was often not safe, just my Dad being there made me feel like everything would be alright. We had similar tastes in fragrances, and I wish he was still here so that I could get him a bottle and hear his impressions.
Pacific Rock Flower by Goldfield and Banks is a perfectly unisex scent.
May each of you have a wonderful night, and may peace encompass you, your household, and your greater community this day, and always.
