White Sandalwood Goldfield & Banks 2016

One of the most well known niche fragrance houses from Australia, White Sandalwood is one of the less talked about from the line. Here I explore the fragrance.

Goldfield & Banks White Sandalwood is part of the earliest 2016 releases of the house, a robustly sharp and spicy blend with sandalwood at the center, albeit with pungent notes or rose, pepper, and saffron, a borderline savory ensemble that fits together pretty nicely despite being quite intense. White in the sense that it’s sharp and bright, but sort of dark in its layered richness, a very nice blend overall, the combination of notes of which makes it somewhat unique, with a lot more going on than just the sandalwood. It’s predictably a bit sharper and stronger at the opening and bit mellower and smoother as it dries down, but it retains most of the same character after several hours.

White Sandalwood is priced like most of the collection, at $190 for 100ml, and sold in the US at boutiques like Perfumology. I think the value is quite good given the performance, uniqueness, and overall craft.

7 out of 10

White Sandalwood is an unexpected twist on a classic note. Instead of the usual creamy woodiness, I mainly get syrupy Turkish rose, in the dry down softened by gentle woods and spices. The rose is so rich and sweet, it almost feels like there’s a hint of rhubarb or raspberry hidden in there. It’s a mix of sweet, sour and a touch of powdery softness. I find it very reminiscent of Zoologist’s Cockatiel.

The Turkish rose also brings to mind the one in Rose Jam by Lush: bold, sugary and jammy. I don’t hate White Sandalwood, but I’m not in love with it either. I'll give it a few more wears, but it's not something I would pick up if I wanted to wear something woody.

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I'm really struggling to detect anything "spicy" or "woody" about this fragrance. I've had it on for almost an hour and still all I can smell is scented baby wipes. It's a very sterile, powdery smell. I can see why other reviewers have said it makes them nauseous. Fortunately it doesn't make me ill, but it does give me a very strong association to diaper changes. This is exactly how I want my baby's bottom to smell. Me, not so much!

White Sandalwood opens with a medicinal thyme and a hint of incredibly jammy rose that reads almost like raspberry to my nose. It has a certain saffronic "dampness" to it that sticks around a few hours before ultimately fading away much faster than I'd like. Of the G&B Native Collection discovery set this was one of the standout scents for me - every note blended well and I always respect a bold herbaceous opening - but there was something disappointing about the frag in the long run.