Fall in Love with Scented Mystic Bliss

What on earth is Kunzea? Have you ever even heard of it? Chances are that if you are not from Australia, this perfume note that has been used in perfumery for several decades is unknown to you, a botanical secret if you like. This most unusual ingredient grows in the wild heart of Australia’s flora and fauna.  This cherished oil comes from a playful white or pink flower grown on the coasts of Australia. While it may be a new discovery for many, Kunzea has a quiet history in perfumery, making appearances as far back as the 1960s and 1970s. So what does it smell like, and why is it still unfamiliar to so many? Finally, why is it in the news now? Find out more in Fall in Love with Scented Mystic Bliss

The image on left-hand side,  Samantha Inman @rememberingtobreathe

In perfumery, there are a plethora of notes we hear about all the time: Roses, Jasmine, Woods, Vanilla, and other notes that, though newer, our olfactory receptors have become familiar with. So, when we encounter a new ingredient that can bring something fresh to our perfume collection, it’s worth exploring it.

This is exactly what Dimitri Weber, the founder and creative director of Australia’s first luxury perfume house, Goldfield & Banks, did when coming across the rare botanical ingredient that is Kunzea.

So, what exactly is it? Kunzea is a botanical plant native to northeast Tasmania, an island state in Australia. It is part of the Myrtle family, Myrtacea, and is known for its fragrant blooms. For centuries, native cultures have used it for its health benefits, including relief from joint pain, inflammation, and skin irritations, amongst other superpowers it casually possesses.

However, due to its limited use in local applications like natural medicine and essential oils, Kunzea remains one of Australia’s best-kept secrets. Despite the fact that this little-known ingredient found its way into perfumes in the 1960s and 1970s, today, it only appears in a few niche fragrances. Unlike globally recognized botanicals such as Lavender or Rose, Kunzea is not an instantly recognisable name in the world of scent.

Thankfully, that’s beginning to change. All praise to Dimitri and Goldfield & Banks, Kunzea now stars in a new perfume, with the brand continuing to elevate Australia’s native botanicals to the global stage.

This niche Australian brand has made its name for celebrating the smell of Australia’s landscape and bringing it to the noses of people all around the world with a contemporary approach to perfume oil production. 

“The day I discovered that no Australian luxury perfume houses existed was the day I realised I had to create the first. I’ve always loved the scents of Australian botanical essences like sandalwood and mimosa – called ‘golden wattle’ in Australia –but when I had the opportunity to visit the country, I was amazed at the sheer abundance and variety of scented species, and I knew I had to make them into perfumes.”

Dimitri Weber

To find such species, the brand collaborates with farmers and harvesters all around the country to gather the finest botanicals, which are carefully processed to produce pure, high-quality oils.

With a wide variety of unique plants and herbs growing in this vast region, many growers are keen for this local perfumer to explore the untapped potential of their area, sending Dimitri samples of native plants with hopes of collaborating with the brand and sharing their discoveries with the world.

And this was how Kunzea made its way into Dimitri’s life.

One eager harvester sent him a sample of Kunzea, and the moment he experienced its distinct, powerful yet delicate scent, he knew he had stumbled upon something special.

Remembering a perfume sample he had received from his colleague and perfumer Florian Gallo, Dimitri realized that Kunzea and the fragrance would pair perfectly. Excited by the potential, he reached out to Florian so they could collaborate and turn this vision into reality, working together to craft a scent that would eventually become ‘Mystic Bliss’.

The pair carefully blended Kunzea with other rare botanicals and essences. As the magic of Kunzea unfolded, they quickly realized that this rare plant does not follow the traditional fragrance structure of top notes, heart notes, and base notes but disturbs them entirely, transforming the fragrance in ways not anticipated.

The Kunzea weaved itself through the entire composition, refusing to be confined to a single layer. It sharpened the top notes while warming the base, creating a dynamic bridge between the different layers.

So what does it smell like? well, that’s where in some ways it becomes difficult to describe. It is a note that is so multi-faceted, ranging from green notes via rooty notes crossing balsamic elements and also woody notes. A little Frankincense a little Vetiver a little Fig leaf, but more more and more. This rare multi-faceted nature of the ingredient allowed for an almost ‘ladder’ effect within this scent.

Top notes are a woody-green note of Fig, with fresh Mint and fruity Cassis; the middle note is the multi-faceted note of Kunzea; with the base notes are smoky Incense, soft wood of Cedar and delicate powder earthy Orris.

This bold departure from the conventional perfume pyramid led to an unpredictable, captivating fragrance experience. Kunzea became the heart and soul of the scent, breathing life into the entire blend, one that brings a new green woody balsamic element and a new facet of Australia to the world of perfumery.

Mystic Bliss was born not just as a fragrance but as an olfactory journey that transports users to the Tasmanian starry night sky, reflecting upon the Aurora Australis.

The creative decision to use Kunzea in this way speaks to a more modern, artistic approach to perfume making, where rules are bent or broken, and the journey from top to base becomes less defined and more experiential.

However, Goldfield & Banks’s creative journey doesn’t stop here. In addition to this exciting release, Goldfield & Banks is partnering with Harrods for its 175-year anniversary. Presenting their best-selling fragrance from its Botanical Series, Silky Woods, in an exclusive collector’s edition bottle in the iconic Harrods green.

Silky Woods is a delicate, sensual, luxurious, and contemporary take on agarwood that gives the impression of a unique woody scent on silky smooth skin. Rich essences of Saffron, Incense, Yang Yang, and native Sandalwood have been combined by Goldfield & Banks to a contemporary sillage of Suede, exotic Vanilla, and smokey Tobacco leaves.

The fragrance is inspired by the 1770 expedition of botanist Joseph Banks, which revealed species formerly unknown to science.

With fragrances such as Silky Wood and Mystic Bliss, the brand continues to demonstrate why Australia is the newest perfume destination with high-grade botanical cultivation and extraction alongside delicious perfumery.

Available at Harrods as a global retail partner and their site goldfiledandbanks.com

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