Gone But Not

According to Phoenecia’s own blurb, Gone But Not is an imaginative merging of Jean Patou’s Joy and Jovan Musk with a whack of harsh, caustic hairspray added for good measure. At the outset, the scent’s quite fresh-smelling, but it does also feel natural and rich (I’d smelled an earlier version of this as well and it smelled far more industrial than its final release). The rose is readily apparent in the mix, boozed up by the honeyed-cognac and a touch of dirty jasmine that tries to edge its way into the picture. There's a slight edible, juicy quality to to this, but it's not overly fruity in a sickening, synthetic sense. Rather, the industrial edge is present lending the fragrance an air of synthy complexity despite the fact that it's primarily natural materials throughout. Elemi serves as a balancing component, attenuating the composition's brightness to keep it from exploding into something tacky, but it also partners up with the musk to create what is arguably the scents strongest asset. The musk is sightly furry with a touch of sweetness to it (a bit like Kiehl's Musk), but the elemi compliments it brilliantly by offering a sort of fatty frankincense tone. What’s smart about this scent is the pairing of the industrial, phantom-synthetic aspects to the rich, bodied naturals. This oxymoronic combination is effective in that the fragrance does indeed latch itself onto your memory. The result is a surprising, unlikely grouping of notes that works better than it probably should. While it’s not as blindingly original as something like Skin Graft, it’s a solid offering for fans of yellow, slightly citrusy scents who aren’t afraid to wander into highly unnatural territories.