Velvet Splendour

Velvet Splendour had its fragrance launched in May 2019, created by perfumer Wessel-Jan Kos (Firmenich). The inspiration was the region known as the Flinders Ranges (commonly called The Flinders), which make up a mountain range in southern Australia with their remarkable colours. Between the pinkish mauve from morning to the ocher from dusk, the region has a lot of natural diversity, including areas full of myrtle, ferns, eucalyptus and Australian acacia trees, called Golden Wattles (Acacia Pycnantha Benth). To understand the fragrance of Velvet Splendour, it is important to explain that Australian golden wattle is present even in the national floral emblem. Australians love their symbol tree so much that they created one day to celebrate its flowering: September 1st, Wattle Day. It is a little different from Acacia Decurrens, which is more explored in perfumery. However, most people know acacia flowers by another name: mimosas. Velvet Splendour is classified, by the company, as a floral, sensual and enveloping perfume. It has notes of mandarin orange, hedione, orange blossom absolute, Australian mimosa absolute, jasmine Sambac, sandalwood, patchouli, Haitian vetiver, leather, tonka bean, opoponax and heliotropine. To simplify things a bit, a few explanations are worth: the hedione was used to reinforce the lovely smell of jasmine; opoponax is known as sweet myrrh and it was used to bring balsamic and sweet nuances; heliotropine is usually listed as heliotrope, which is that vanilla-smelling flower. Velvet Splendour touches the skin like a classic floral of the 80s’, with many nuances of rose – especially in the opening minutes – and not as many powdery facets as the fragrances of that time. The smell of roses that I mentioned above, is not a crazy thing from my mind. Mimosas bring these nuances, as well as something from tuberoses. Velvet Splendour's evolution seems simpler than its composition. Basically, I feel a solar floral scent of roses and jasmine, which seems to be dipped in a soft, narcotic wax. This wax gives a silky, velvety and sensual touch, which is not too sweet, but sweetened. The drying is divinely creamy and long lasting. However, everything happens in a linear way, with almost zero variation. On my skin, I continued to feel the fragrance even after eight hours of application, which is the result of more than 20% of essential oils in the composition that, it is worth remembering, is vegan and cruelty-free. I can see a greater appeal to the female audience and I imagine that some will find Velvet Splendour a not innovative scent. However, the growth and popularization of Niche Perfumery have brought an avalanche of disinformation about the segment. It is necessary to separate the chaff from the wheat: one thing is a niche brand that sells copies of fragrances launched by Designer brands, disguised in luxurious boxes and press releases that defend rarer ingredients; another thing is to find a niche brand that, at some point, it will launch a perfume that could be considered as a less innovative fougère, citrus or floral, which is clearly there to represent all the olfactory families within the collection. And in the case of Goldfield & Banks Australia, after wearing Southern Bloom and White Sandalwood, it is difficult not to recognize such a difference.

What is it about this fragrance??? I wore it to a doctor's appointment and then to do my running around. I received compliments EVERYWHERE I went...including the girl at check in, my doctor, the stock boy at CVS AND the dude who helped me at Home Depot, shopping for a new front door knob..🤷 This scent is really pretty in a vintage 90s way, which I am not hating-- especially after all the compliments in just one day...from females AND males. A voluptuous floral character that obviously has decent projection, thus the compliments. I liked it when I first sprayed it on, and now I love it, lol The dry down lasts n lasts on my dry skin and an eternity on clothes. If you like floral scents and want compliments, I highly recommend this one. It is a tried n true - and surprising- attention getter. People reviewing this are underestimating this fragrance. At least, buy a sample, wear it out somewhere, interact with some ppl and find out for yourself. I would give this a 9/10 overall. NOTE- This is clearly a feminine frag, IMO.

The most underrated and most misunderstood perfume from Goldfield&Banks catalog. I am wearing today, for the first time since summer came, in a mildly warm but cloudy day and it’s absolutely glorious. The scent, the projection, the way that makes me smile every time I move around and catch a whiff of Velvet Splendour is just amazing... I have not come across to a better, more intense mimosa dominant perfume as this one. Obviously, it’s paired beautifully with jasmine, orange blossom and a warm, creamy vanilla/sandalwood base, and it’s making my soul happy. It’s sweet and rich but doesn’t feel overbearing even during a late summer day. Why do people here consider Velvet Splendour an old fashioned/vintage scent is beyond me... I am telling you, if you love mimosa and white florals, this is a must have! And the way it performs is on par with Silky Woods, meaning super strong! I wish the other fragrances from the Native Collection would perform like Velvet Splendour, but most of them are on the lighter side.

The G&B discovery set has been full of surprises! Was not expecting to like this one as much as I do. Very clean, fresh velvety florals that smell so natural and charming. Feels like I just stepped out of a roomy apartment in Homebush Bay, freshly showered in a white shirt dress and Birkenstocks and I am standing by the jasmine bushes ready to go on an early morning stroll by the waterside in the burgeoning Sydney heat. Not an overpowering jasmine though, very lightly done. Fresh soapy mimosa. The hedione gives it warmth. Really quite captivating, I don't own florals like this but if I was going to pick one this would be it! You don't need more than a couple of sprays, more than that and it becomes a denser, powdery vintage scent, (yes it does have a striking similarity to the old Coco Chanel) which is nice but I prefer this one light. Long lasting too. mood : spring strolls

Velvet Spkendour is a spectacular mimosa scent. But it’s not a fresh, transparent and airy floral, it’s a full bodied, honeyed, thick, rich, amber floral with heavy dose of jasmine, orange blossom, juicy, almost overripe, sweet mandarin orange and tonka bean. The heaviest notes, patchouli, leather and sandalwood, offer Velvet Splendour a green, aromatic, spicier edge, smoothness and potency! This is not a summer time floral. It’s more suitable for spring and fall wear, it’s so vibrant and strong. Velvet Splendour performs splendidly! It’s intense, creates a nice scent bubble around me and leaves a beautiful scent trail behind me. Exactly how I like my scents to perform. I was looking for a mimosa centric fragrance for a while now and I think I found the one... As soon as I can get some decent deals on it, I’ll add this to my collection. I do really love Velvet Splendour...

Velvet Splendour is soft floral amber luxury. Yellow florals stick to a vintage-style amber base. There's a specific floral note I'm not familliar with that seems to be the star of the show, I'm going to assume that's the mimosa-wattle note. It's a powdery, woody floral that when on top of the amber reminds me of Chanel No. 5. The dry down includes softer florals, noticeably orange blossom, and more of that beautiful enigma mimosa-wattle. The base becomes more woody with the amber still noticeable. It does have a "velvety" feel. Although there are some strong notes in there, it feels like there is a fuzzy layer on top of it all to mute any sharpness. Gorgeous blending from Goldfield & Banks. This fragrance feels luxurious and high-class. Chanel No. 5 lovers will adore Velvet Splendour. I can imagine this being worn by an alluring, classy woman who knows exactly who she is.

Gorgeous Big Fresh Yellow White Floral. Opens with a golden cloud of mandarins and mimosa, sweetly heady jasmine/ orange blossom, and a touch of spice all around like a shower of fully blooming flowers in the warm sunlight. A clean earthy well balanced patchouli/vetiver embraces the petals in an easy relaxed, sensual hug. Everything is cradled in a divinely dense, resinous, sweet myrrh and smooth buttery leather infused with a lovely dose of tonka beans. This is absolutely gorgeous. Sweetly floral yet not sugary or cloying. Earthy and sensually grounded without being overtly dirty. Radiantly, openly, unapologetically floral without being too heady or powdery. I could swim in this comfortably. Feels like a summer afternoon party with your best friends, happy lovers, and favorite music all around you. Absolutely wonderful. I love this.

This is my favourite G&B fragrance. I've been wearing it now for 7 hours and although it's now sitting closer to the skin, it's still giving off reasonable strength. The drydown is really nice, sweet and musky. I don't particularly like leather in fragrances unless it is virtually undetectable and that's exactly how it is in Velvet Splendour. I suspect it is possibly also a huge part of the reason why this fragrance has decent longevity. From memory, the last time I wore it, I could still faintly smell it the next morning. I wouldn't call it beast mode, but certainly a decent performer. In terms of cost, I think it's probably worth the money if you love it. It could easily be a signature scent.

A wonderful interpretation of the beautiful Australian icon - Wattle. My initial feelings were somewhat reserved on the opening of this scent as it was quite powerful. However after each wear I grow more in love with the Mimosa (ie wattle) and how the scent evolves into a creamy and sweet sandlewood and tonka bean dry down. Needless to say I feel pretty wearing this scent from Goldfield and Banks which highlights the native fauna from my home. A scent for the 30+ set as I don’t feel it is a younger persons scent

Oh my goodness. This perfume makes me swoon!! I’ve smelled it a few times on card and it just yells glamour and indulgence. The mandarin and mimosa are very prevalent, as is the big, fat heady accord of tonka, sandalwood and patchouli. This reminds me of a few other mimosa fragrances, but this seems to have more guts than many others. True to the style of this brand, this a huge purring tiger of mimosa, rather than a kitten. I’m going to enjoy wearing this on skin soon 😀

a gift from my daughter pure nostalgia brought me back to the 1960s 4 Chinese ladies in silk cheongsam and tight curly hair and gold teeth seated at a mahjong table intermittently nibbling on lotus paste sweet mooncakes in a room filled with sandal wood incense and draped in velvet curtains with satin sashes and the scent of jasmine drifting through the windows a fall night moon beams of the autumn moon Mid Autumn festival of childhood days long gone by............

This is a bold fragrance. It will take a special kind of person to pull this off. Insanely potent! I sprayed this about 5x the first time I wore it to the office. I had to turn go back home and shower again. 2 sprays will get you through the day and then some. Like most reviewers this agree this has a vintage floral feel. In the right occasion this will be a banger and attention getter.

Surprised by the number of negative reviews! I love this, it’s my favorite of the discovery set. I was a child of the 90s and this reminds me of exactly how my mother smelled, a combo of baby powder and rich amber. For me it’s like being wrapped up in a cozy hug by someone wearing a cashmere sweater. Definitely buying a full bottle!

I will have to buy a bottle of this after my sample runs out. Translated to a color, this would be sunlit yellow/gold. Lush, deep, gorgeous...I can't stop sniffing. Mimosa (Australian golden wattle) is the star here. Powdery, soft, and supported by white florals, sandalwood and patchouli. This fragrance transports me.

For me, this is the best one from the brand, together with Pacific Rock Moss. I love the powdery mimosa in it, and the vintage glamour that somehow doesn’t feel old (lady) or outdated, but very luxury and carefree, like spending a long vacation in a beautiful resort near the Mediterranean coast in the south of France.

Beautiful Mimosa surrounded by flowers, traditional with a nostalgic twist. Unisex but leans feminine. For me, it was love at first sniff. It's not a loud scent, but it's detectable. At the same time, the trail is long; after three hours, it settles down to a pleasant skin scent.

A nostalgic comforting scent. It reminds me of the attic where I used to play as a child. It is not a realistic mimosa but it captures the powdery, vintage feeling of the big yellow clouds made of little flower balls.

A take full of hindsight and quality on an older, vintage perfume DNA. Admittedly a required taste either way, but it feels like a breath of fresh air in the old. Very...velvetty. Requires class

Beautiful, old school fragrance. Loving it!! If you like vintage, powdery perfume, try this. You won't be disappointed. :))

This smells like home to me in the most splendid nostalgic way, smells very vintage but I don’t care, it’s comforting

gorgeous gorgeous GORGEOUS! everything about this is perfect, from the name to the smell.. just in love.

you can do better than just say 'it smells like an old lady'.. make your neurons work..

Looking to sell my bottle. Partially used. Shipping to UK only

Goldfield & Banks Velvet Splendou is a floral/fresh/spicy/resinous blend that’s as velvety smooth as its name suggests. It has an opulent, powdery quality that smells like grand perfumes of old, with plenty of florals, citruses, and resins. The standout notes to me are heliotrope, oppoponax, tonka, mandarin, patchouli, leather, and vetiver. It leans traditionally feminine, at least on my skin, and performs outstandingly—I’d certainly like to try it some more and would encourage others to, also, perhaps as part of a discovery set, which I’ve found to be a lot of fun to go through, scent by scent. Overall, Velvet Splendour is rich and has a classy timelessness to it, and fits in nicely within the collection as something new. It’s priced at $190 for 100ml like most of the current main collection and is sold via retailers like Perfumology. 7 out of 10

To me, this fragrance is a soft, fresh, clean smell. Very feminine, but also very unremarkable. The opening note is powdery floral. I especially detect the lavender, jasmine and orange blossoms. The hint of citrus gives it a fresh feel but isn't overpowering. It settles into a nice, clean, unobtrusive smell. This could easily be a signature scent that you can wear to the office all year long and no one would ever complain or think twice about it. In fact, it smells so much like a dryer sheet or laundry detergent, everyone will just think you are a very clean person! On the other hand, that means this fragrance my feel blasé to some. You likely won't get many compliments, since people may just assume the smell is coming from your clothing or a nice hand lotion.

This is a nice woody yellow floral but not worth the asking price. I have fragrances in this scent profile that cost me a hell of a lot less $$$. And while I think this one smells very nice, I love mimosa, I just don't think it is worth the asking price. This has been done before and for less $$$. Last time I will sample from this brand. If you want something for less that smells similar and is high quality, try Annick Goutal's Grand Amour. It's not a dupe but I think Grand Amour Smells better and is less expensive. If you want the ultimate mimosa fragrance that lasts and has projection and doesn't cost as much as this, try Poeme by Lancome. That is a stunner. Velvet Splendor is a nice fragrance but for this price point it just isn't worth it.

Cooee, this perfume from 'straya is fair dinkum choc a bloc with pot pourri and will have you gobsmacked how much it's just like a crocodile flat out trying to cover the smell of his durries, otherwise his mum will have a blue with him. You'll be in a good pozzie and having a ripsnorter, as when it drys down it reminds me of a time that this one sheila and a bloke hopped in their uggies and watched their muso mate play a tune. Av a go of this one if you would chuck a sickie just to eat some tim tams with a coffee. Bloody oath I don't want to rev you up too much, but if you prefer putting on sunscreen in autumn then you better take a squiz. 7/10.

Mimosa, the star of this show, is both sweet and calming: it's a very nice note to have combined here with jasmine because it tempers the indolic qualities of the other. This projects strongly but is not overwhelming, and mixed with the woods and the patchouli (and just a little leather) makes it so this is not too feminine. I recognize the same retro DNA here as I do in the same house's gorgeous Purple Suede, although the dominant notes are very different. A well made fragrance, Velvet Splendour is relaxing and enjoyable--it's more for women, though a man could certainly wear it if he liked.

A darker, more full-bodied scent. There's a hint of floral, sure, yet it remains mostly buried under the verdant heaviness of Velvet Splendour. The initial scent is almost medicine-like (not unheard of for g&b), but it quickly opens up into a mature, floral-adjacent and smooth breeze. This is what midnight air under the canopy of a lonely Parisian cafe should smell like. But it soon dips into the territory of a fresher (though still dark) scent. Drydown is full of surprises.

I saw this in a perfumery for 50% off. I was intrigue at first spray ... white spicy florals. But there was something in the background that had me wondering. It was citrus, bright, and earthy blended perfectly. The second spray on the back of my hand sold me. This is a perfect floral masculine scent with an earthy background. The dry down become a very calming powdery musk skin within about 5 hrs. Refreshing will give you a full day signature scent.

Strong sweet orange mixed with a melange of heady flowers atop a soft woody-leathery base. Mimosa stars but there's a significant white floral presence too, a bit of airy jasmine and soapy orange blossom that pulls double duty boosting the citrus. Sort of syrupy sweet, like a floral version of Sunset Hour, but tempered by the dryness of the flowers and base notes. Moderate projection for 2-3hr, longevity 8-10hr.

I would never say that this is mimosa scent if I don’t read pyramid. It opened like floral amber perfume that turned into lavender+spices in the middle and calms down in sweet woody vanilla in the base. Interesting transition since it starts with warm notes, then transforms into medicine-like fresh and back to warm again. Very interesting, easy to wear for any occasions, classic without old vibes.

I love how more or less all GB perfumes are unique. This is a strong and powerful floral with a lot of depth. It reminds me of my grandmother but in a good way. I don't think this kind of powdery scent is for my style, but I do appreciate what was done here, deeply. I also like the woody base which was really comforting to wear. Vintage would be the best way to describe it perhaps.

Has a nice vintagey, slightly dusty smell. Like finding dried flowers in an old wooden bookshelf. Lots of sandalwood, mimosa, and vetiver. The jasmine and orange blossom are in the mix but they’re more powdery than fresh. It’s more feminine (and mature) but I could definitely see a man pulling this off too. Lasts about 4 hours on me but stays close to the skin.

This is very nice. But I woulden't have thought of Mimosa at all. An oily fleshy floral. Oily to the point that it almost feels like a coating in the back of your throught. It has a big silage for the 1h or so. I can see how this can be signature material for someone I haven't smelled anything like it. Personaly the oily/gooy/greesy texture puts me off tho.

I wanted to like this more, but it just leans too masculine for me. It's very "vintage"y as others have noted. It's earthy, it's powdery, it's generically floral. Not sweet, not smooth or silky, or 'velvety'. It's fine, but not for me. I can imagine a very specific kind of guy pulling this off. Hipsterish, potsmoking, fancy coffee drinking type. 6/10

This is a classic floral scent. It's very reminiscent of Red Door by Elizabeth Arden, however I'm finding it doesn't give me a headache like that perfume does. It has a fresh and clean quality to it, a little like fresh laundry. I'm wearing it on a hot Aussie day so I think it performs well in the heat.

First impressions: I would really like to try this one on skin, but on paper it kind of smells like what I imagine sunflowers to smell like in a sunflower farm where the sun is beating down and your driving by. To be continued...

This is called the "Chanel No 5 Down Under", thanks to mimosa and jasmine. Velvet Splendour is recommend for those who are avid fans of retro and timeless fragrances that are not so overpowering.

Quite pretty and quite mature. Smells like an elegant hand cream. It's also somehow bringing me right back to a trip I took to Hawaii as a kid. It's not overtly tropical though.

Typical chypre. Love the mimosa and jasmine mixture. Waiting to test the drydown.

Clean, fresh, powdery and soft.

[GFB discovery 5 of 10] This scent is a mimosa forward white floral scent that is powdery sandalwood with a touch of Tonka. It doesn't evolve of change at all over the course of its wear. Very floral, powdery and slightly sweet overall. The problem is - it's really hard to find anything special about it. The whole shtick of this discovery set is to highlight Aussie botanicals, and I get that, but so far everything has been very minimalist, but also not unique or grabbing (except Pacific Rock Moss, that was a bit different). The problem here is - you have definitely smelled this before. There's nothing to Hook you and make you think - wow that's different. Australian mimosa or not, this fast to stand out.

This lies heavily feminine. if I were to imagine a bouquet of flowers that are all blooming, this is what I would guess it would be. It’s bursting with energy, smells high class, luxurious, and simply delightful in the top notes and initial hour. Definitely not unisex. I feel as if there is a rose note in there somewhere as well. And for anyone saying it’s an old lady scent I would have to agree on the dry down. It’s smells vintage, antiquated and mature two hours in. As a male wearer, that’s not something I’m going for. It’s my only complaint, brings this from a 6/10 to a 5/10 for me personally.

Traditional, vintage smell that I remember 30-40 years back. When my Mum smelled it, she was enchanted. I always appreciate smells that go back to that time. However, this is too normal for me, or rather - nothing distinctive. I smell sweetness, vanilla bourbon, some after-shave and spices. It somewhat goes to the Penhaligon's Portraits, but whereas the Portraits have some modern twist and I find them very appealing, this does not "speak to me". It is just OK, but nothing memorable. It fades away rather quickly.

This begins as a classic, woody, white/yellow floral. While I like those kind of fragrances, I don't find it to be super unique or special. I enjoy that the mimosa dominates the jasmine, as jasmine isn't always my favorite. However, these type of fragrances are fairly common and, while this has good projection and lasting power especially for its notes, it wouldn't be worth the price for a bottle for me.

This is powdery and has a very vintage vibe to it. It reminds me of sitting at my grandmothers vanity with a mix of talcum powders, face powder and lipstick. It’s so familiar. While I can enjoy the scent on tester for a nostalgic memory I don’t enjoy wearing it.

Decent scent. It leans masculine to my nose, maybe because it has a familiar, classic, slightly vintage vibe. I can picture a mature person wearing it. There's probably a group of people who would enjoy it more than me.

A vintage floral scent. Mimosa is the star of the fragrance. Mimosa, jasmin and Tonka. Not so original. In this brand, I prefer Southern Bloom, more original. More for a mature woman. Classic and elegant. 6/10

Old lady dressing table. Mimosa and powder are prominent. Scent itself is quite powerful and strong, it settles down quickly leaving soft notes of jasmine and orange blossoms behind