Silky Woods vs Silky Woods Elixir: Which Should You Buy?

Silky Woods and Silky Woods Elixir share one star ingredient, Australian agarwood, but they are two different perfumes: the original is a golden, vanilla-and-cinnamon woody gourmand, and the Elixir is a darker, drier fig-and-oud take on the same wood. If you are choosing between them, the real question is whether you want warm and smooth or dark and resinous.

Quick answer: Buy Goldfield & Banks Silky Woods if you want a sweet, creamy, easy-to-love wood scent with cinnamon, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Buy Silky Woods Elixir if you want less sugar and more shadow: fig, saffron, orris, guaiac wood and Oud Assafi over the same Australian agarwood. The brand lists both at 25% concentration, so the difference is character, not simply strength.

What is Silky Woods?

Silky Woods launched in 2021 as the first fragrance in the Goldfield & Banks Botanical Series, a collection built around rare Australian plant materials. Fragrantica dates the launch to April 2021. The perfumer is Hamid Merati-Kashani, working with the house's founder and creative director, Dimitri Weber.

The brand calls it a "woody gourmand". A gourmand is a perfume that smells edible, usually thanks to notes such as vanilla, caramel or spice. Here the edible side comes from Ceylon cinnamon and Tahitian vanilla.

The centrepiece is tropical Australian agarwood. Agarwood is the resin-rich heartwood of the Aquilaria tree, and it is the raw material that oud oil is distilled from. According to Goldfield & Banks, the agarwood in Silky Woods is "sustainably harvested for the first time in perfume history", and it is softened with suede, saffron, incense and native Australian sandalwood.

On skin, the effect is plush rather than challenging. You get warm spice first, then creamy wood with a floral lift from Madagascan ylang-ylang, and a long vanilla, incense and sandalwood finish.

What is Silky Woods Elixir?

Silky Woods Elixir is the flanker. A flanker is a new fragrance that borrows the name and theme of an existing one, then takes it somewhere different. The Fragrantica listing dates it to 2023, and the brand credits two perfumers: Olivier Cresp and Hamid Merati-Kashani.

Goldfield & Banks describes it as an "aromatic woody" perfume inspired by the Daintree Rainforest, and uses the words "dark and excessive". The listed materials are fig, saffron, orris (the powdery, slightly earthy root of the iris), guaiac wood, vanilla, Oud Assafi and the same tropical Australian agarwood.

Oud Assafi is worth a short explanation. It is a trademarked natural oud oil from the fragrance supplier Firmenich, distilled from Aquilaria malaccensis and known for a leathery, animalic profile, as Perfumer & Flavorist reported when it was introduced. It gives the Elixir a deeper, more obviously "oud" character than the original has.

The independent review at ÇaFleureBon publishes a longer note list that also includes rose, Peru balsam, oakmoss and cypriol, and quotes the creative brief as "a dark and extreme perfume". The reviewer's summary is useful: the original is "warm and luxurious from the outset", while the Elixir opens with "damp, mossy notes" that recall a forest in the morning.

Silky Woods vs Silky Woods Elixir: side by side

How do they actually smell different?

The opening. Silky Woods starts with cinnamon and saffron, which reads as warm and inviting straight away. The Elixir starts with fig and saffron, which is greener and cooler, with a milky, leafy quality that the original does not have.

The heart. In the original, ylang-ylang and tobacco leaf give the agarwood a creamy, slightly honeyed feel. In the Elixir, orris and guaiac wood take over. Orris adds a dry, powdery texture and guaiac wood adds smoke, so the wood feels more austere.

The drydown. The drydown is what remains on skin after the first hour or two. Silky Woods settles into vanilla, incense and sandalwood. The Elixir settles into vanilla again, but it is anchored by Oud Assafi and resinous notes, so the sweetness sits further back.

That last point is the one most reviewers pick up on. The writer at Plezuro found the original "quite heavy" in its sweetness, and wrote that in the Elixir "the heavy sweetness was tempered with fig".

Is Silky Woods Elixir stronger than the original?

Not on paper. Goldfield & Banks states the same figure for both: 25% essences and botanicals. The brand labels the original an Eau de Parfum and the Elixir an Extrait de Parfum, but the published concentration is identical.

The Elixir can still feel heavier, because its materials are heavier. Oud, guaiac wood and balsams are slow to evaporate and have a darker tone than cinnamon and ylang-ylang. So "Elixir" here signals a change of mood more than a jump in dose.

How long either one lasts on you depends on your skin, the temperature and how much you apply. Both are concentrated, so start with two or three sprays and add more only if you need it.

Which should you buy?

Choose Silky Woods if you like vanilla, warm spice and smooth woods, and you want something rich that still feels friendly. It is also the better pick if you are new to oud, because the agarwood is cushioned by suede, sandalwood and vanilla.

Choose Silky Woods Elixir if you tried the original and wished it were drier, darker or less sweet. It suits people who already enjoy oud, leather and smoky woods, and who want a scent with more contrast.

If you want one bottle for most occasions, the original is the safer everyday choice. The Elixir is the more distinctive one, and it shines in cold weather and after dark.

If you already own one, the other is different enough to justify a place on the shelf. They overlap in the agarwood and vanilla, and almost nowhere else.

The best test is skin. You can smell them side by side at our Somerville boutique, 92 West Main Street, where both are on the scent bar.

What else to try from Goldfield & Banks

If you like the agarwood idea but want something quieter, Wood Infusion pairs agarwood and sandalwood with orris, lavender and patchouli in a lighter, more aromatic style. For a sandalwood-first scent, White Sandalwood sets the wood against saffron, rose, pepper and thyme.

You can browse the whole house in our Goldfield & Banks collection, see more work by Hamid Merati-Kashani, or explore every oud fragrance we carry.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Silky Woods and Silky Woods Elixir?

Silky Woods is a warm woody gourmand built on Australian agarwood, cinnamon, tobacco leaf, ylang-ylang and vanilla. Silky Woods Elixir keeps the agarwood and vanilla but swaps the cinnamon and tobacco for fig, saffron, orris, guaiac wood and Oud Assafi, so it smells darker, greener and less sweet. Think of the original as golden and cosy, and the Elixir as shadowy and resinous.

Is Silky Woods Elixir stronger than Silky Woods?

Goldfield & Banks lists both at the same concentration: 25% essences and botanicals. The Elixir is described by the brand as an Extrait de Parfum and reads denser and darker on skin because of its oud, guaiac wood and balsamic materials. How long either lasts on you depends on your skin, the weather and how much you spray.

Does Silky Woods smell like oud?

It contains tropical Australian agarwood, the wood that oud comes from, but it does not smell like a traditional, animalic oud. The agarwood is wrapped in vanilla, cinnamon, suede and sandalwood, so most people read it as a smooth, sweet wood. If you want a more obvious oud character, Silky Woods Elixir adds Oud Assafi, a leathery natural oud oil.

Is Silky Woods a men's or women's fragrance?

Both Silky Woods and Silky Woods Elixir are sold as unisex fragrances. The original leans sweeter and softer, and the Elixir leans darker and woodier, but neither is tied to a gender. Wear whichever one smells best on your skin.

Who made Silky Woods and Silky Woods Elixir?

Silky Woods was composed by perfumer Hamid Merati-Kashani under Goldfield & Banks creative director Dimitri Weber. For Silky Woods Elixir, the brand credits two perfumers: Olivier Cresp and Hamid Merati-Kashani. Both fragrances belong to the house's Botanical Series.

When should I wear Silky Woods or Silky Woods Elixir?

Both are rich, warm fragrances that suit autumn, winter and evenings best. The original Silky Woods is the easier one to wear to the office or a dinner because it is smoother and more familiar. The Elixir is the more dramatic choice for cold nights and occasions where you want a darker, more distinctive scent.

Is Silky Woods Elixir worth the extra money?

It is worth it if you want a darker, less sweet, more oud-forward fragrance than the original. If what you love about Silky Woods is its creamy vanilla-and-cinnamon warmth, the Elixir will not give you more of that; it goes in a different direction. Try both on skin before deciding, because they are different perfumes rather than a light and a strong version of the same one.

Sources

• Goldfield & Banks: Silky Woods (official product page)
• Goldfield & Banks: Silky Woods Elixir (official product page)
• ÇaFleureBon: Goldfield and Banks Silky Woods Elixir review
• Plezuro: Silky Woods Elixir, does the flanker surpass the original?
• Perfumer & Flavorist: Firmenich's Oud Assafi
• Fragrantica: Silky Woods