Sky City (Before)

[LaurieB]

SKY CITY (BEFORE)
Urban paradise: fresh air, lush green parks dotted with dandelions, blooming gardens, glossy marble, shining metal, and a hint of asphalt.

This scent is beautiful and direct--it smells like a fountain with wildflowers growing around it. A lovely spring day captured in a bottle. I get dandelions and cut-greens, along with a subtle nuance of water (but it's definitely not an aquatic) and wet stone. It has staying power for a scent so delicate--I've worn it all day at work and I can still catch a whiff of a freshly-mown lawn. Perfect for spring (or summer, or fall, or winter...

[valkyriesmyst]

I agree completely with LaurieB. This is so beautiful and blended perfectly. Just the right amount of grasses, greens and florals. To me it is reminiscent of an early dewy Spring morning. I'm so fortunate to own a bottle of this, I love it.

[fairnymph]

Clean, fresh, bright and airy. I get a ton of dandelion - by far the prevailing note - some fresh green grass, some ozone, a hint of chrome and a subtle sweetness that's almost fruity. I don't get any asphalt, but I think I get the stone/marble note, very faintly - it's the same note from Sarah, I think. But this is dandelion, fresh cut grass, and ozone mostly.

 

A little sharper and more bitter, both from the ozone which has more of its almost-chemical edge, and the grass and dandelion which have more bitterness, and more of stemmy note. Still, very fresh and and light, and not overly harsh, though I liked this more in the bottle. To me, the hint of sweetness - lighter now - reminds me a lot of the cloudberry note in the Host of the Air. But it's very hard to pick out bc the dandelion is amping majorly on me, so it could even be a sweet floral. I am getting more of the metal now, which adds a sort of masculine feel, and I think I get a hint of asphalt. It's a lot more complex on my skin. Faintly, but not unpleasantly soapy. I also get a scent that reminds me of dried leaves in autumnal blends. The marble note holds steadily.

 

Relatively slow to dry, but I'm getting more and more of the notes that were faint or absent in the bottle, namely the stone, asphalt, and metal. I get MUCH more of an urban feel now, but the dandelion and green grass are still going strong and the mystery sweet note holds, too. There is a cologney feel to this, doubtless in large part due to the ozone, but I think that a musk of some sort may be the source of sweetness, a subtle musk like skin or vanilla musk. But I think this is what makes this scent more than just a nice smell and into something truly wearable, more classically 'perfume' despite all the untraditional notes. But it all really works, with the notes balancing and contrasting beautifully.

 

This has blended into something nearly seamless - it's now difficult to pick out individual notes, but I can definitely get the dandelion (more rounded now, with only a pleasantly bitter edge), grass (fresh and green with a hint of soap), loads of marble, a fair bit of chrome, and the ozone is holding really well, as is the gravelly asphalt. This seems like it would be a unisex scent, but it's so bright and on me, has that touch of sweetness that makes it just verge toward feminine. I love all the different aspects of this scent and how they merge together so well and remain light, fresh, and airy. This is definitely my favourite 'green' scent, overtaking Passionate Shepherd. This has good throw and longevity, and doesn't seem to fade much my skin.

 

By far my favourite of the C2E2 exclusives!

Edited May 17, 2010 by fairnymph

[angelicruin]

Grass, florals, & metal. Very fresh smelling.

[papermaker]

This is really pretty. It is like a meadow with flowers and grass, and just off in the distance being carried on the breeze you can get the hint of the brook bubbling by. This is a perfect spring day in a bottle.

[ellebelle]

Mmmm, dandelion. I love the "grassy" scents, and I knew I would love this one. It reminds me strongly of Fairy Wine and Enchanted Wood Florist, only spicier with the dandelion taking center stage. This will certainly be in heavy rotation for spring as it is very evocative of a spring day, grassy and green, just after the rains. Perfection.

[Imbrium]

Almost immediately, Sky City (Before) reminded me of Amsterdam. In my book, that's a very, very good thing.

 

It is light and clean, and a very green scent, with a bit of the sort of fresh water scent that doesn't turn too soapy/ozone-y. I am not getting the dandelion quite as strongly as others seem to--even sniffed the single note again to compare--but the flowers are definitely present from the get-go: nothing too strong, but the kind of cooler floral scent that I tend to associate with bulby-type flowers: tulips, daffodils, crocus, etc.

 

And, perhaps this is just my imagination, but I do feel like there's some hint of asphalt scent in there--the way that streets smell in the summertime, after the rain, rather than the scent of, like, drying, recently-poured asphalt.

 

There is not terribly much throw, though some of that could be me, as lighter florals don't tend to last too long on me. It is pretty, though, and worth reapplying!

[CitizenBree]

I tested/reviewed this very quickly at the Challengers event and put a bunch of circles around the note "fresh air." To me, this smelled like Febreeze. Very fresh, very clean and bright. Not something I'd wear as a perfume but would be a wonderful atmosphere blend.

 

[saralaughs]

Almost immediately, Sky City (Before) reminded me of Amsterdam. In my book, that's a very, very good thing.

 

It did to me as well so I did a side by side.

 

Amsterdam is more light with heady florals while Sky City (Before) has milder florals and dampness that is darker somehow. Not DARK but milder maybe? It's a very good spring time scent with a greeness that is wet and alive. There is something that is behind that floral/green/clean scent that really doesn't like me though.

 

Overall, while Amsterdam reminds me of some shampoo right out of the bottle (very good shampoo mind you, but still shampoo) Sky City Before is the smell of hair that has been blown dry after a good washing at the salon...after you've had a perm or color. I like it but I think I prefer Amsterdam over this.

[Little Bird]

Sky City (Before) is very crisp and clean smelling on me. I hate it at first, because it starts off very sharp and perfumey, but the drydown isn't so bad. I can pick out a hint of dandelion in the mix, but it's mostly this clean air freshener type of scent on me. It reminds me of Dirty, but if Dirty is clean, damp laundry hung to dry over a flower bed, this is laundry hung up to dry over a yard dotted with dandelions. It definitely reminds me strongly of Febreeze.

 

I don't know if I really find this to be wearable. It's just a little too sharp at times, and a little too much like I've sprayed myself with a bottle of Febreeze... I'll probably use this as a room scent if I use it for anything.

[LunaLovegood]

Clean, crisp, breezy spring day with the notes of the flowers being carried around by the wind. Very nice!

[devilot]

Sky City (Before)

In the vial: Green. Ah yes, dandelions!

 

Wet: At first it's that dandelion note again, one I've loved in other blends, but I guess I prefer dandelion NOT straight up. Morphing into something with a hint of sweetness, actually. Mmm! Now I'm getting the "shining metal" but it smells less metallic ("blood" kind of metal) and more just, ozone? Very clean.

 

Drydown: Still a lot of dandelion, but more of the subtlety of the other notes is coming forth which helps to smooth and round out the blend. Makes the green grassiness of that dandelion note much smoother.

 

Verdict: I rather like this! If a decant ever comes my way, I'd be pretty excited, but I'm not in a rush to find a decant, much less a bottle of this blend. But a really nice blend. BIG THANK YOU to the C2E2 sniff circle started by GypsyRoseRed!

[bluerose]

In the bottle: Lushly sweet greens.

 

On the skin: Pretty much the same. It's evocative of a lush spring day with a soft breeze. Very pretty.

[Seismogenic]

I'll say right off the bat that I'm not familiar with Irredeemable. I do, however, draw a lot of cityscapes for non-fictional places, and I like the idea of trying to portray a cityscape in scent. I'm a little wary of some of the listed floral notes going in to this review, but at the same time, a lack of any sort of greenery in a city is kind of sad, so I will not let those gardens deter me!

 

In the bottle: Light, airy, and clean. There's a soft and sweet plant component, but there's definitely also that bit of metal and asphalt also sharing what is clearly spring air.

 

Wet on skin: Cool spring air, the sort of flowers that are more for visuals than for smell but still have a sort of crisp smell anyway, a bit of asphalt, and that glass note I recognize from a few other scents. The metal is still there, but subtle.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, I immediately get more of the marble/asphalt note, but the other notes remain mostly the same in balance. It's more obviously a fresh spring day in a city rather than just outside in general. At one hour in, the plant notes have faded to near oblivion. I'm pretty much left with just the cityscape - asphalt and marble, that glass note, and the slightest hint of something metallic. It's still a fresh spring morning, and this is a very clean city.

 

Five hours later: Mostly asphalt now, with that little bit of metal still hanging in there. There's a bit of ozone in conjunction with both of these, but it hasn't taken over. Not really getting the glass anymore, and the plants are looong gone.

 

End of the day: A subtle hint of ozoney asphalt.

 

Overall: This is awesome! It is very clearly urban, with the asphalt and metal and glass all present and accounted for, but these are not dark and oppressive tightly-lined buildings. This scent gives me a clear mental image of impeccably-maintained streets lined with light-colored structures, with an open and blue (and smogless!) sky visible between the buildings. The plant notes add to the impression of being outside, but they don't make this too rural. I'm going to have to agree with the Lab's "urban paradise" description here. Very much a keeper!

[edenssixthday]

Sky City (Before) - This is a clean, green scent. I don't usually like green blends and I usually can't stand anything with dandelion in it, but this evokes an incredibly strong scent memory of a time in my life when I lived in New Orleans, and for some reason, it makes me think of the first boy I was ever desperately head-over-heels in love with when I was 12. When I smell it, I feel all the good things about being twelve years old and experiencing the first blush of love. If for no other reason, I love this blend for that.

[jencallisto]

In the decant: Bright green fresh-cut grass, a little sweet.

Fresh on the skin: Sweet, green, fresh-cut grass and sweet, bright yellow dandelions. Spring!

5 minutes in: Sweet, fresh, green grass and yellow pollen. Makes me want to sneeze, a bit, but I like it!

10 minutes in: Sweet and fresh and pretty!

20 minutes in: A little excessive on the pollen side, maybe, but I still like this. Kinda fascinating. Similar grass to Dog Days of Summer, I think.

30 minutes in: Sweet, green, soft, bright. A bit of... something else. Almost aquatic. The metal, perhaps.

1 hour in: Bright and green, a bit astringent.

2 hours in: Bright and green, gone quite aquatic.

3 hours in: Green and almost all aquatic now. Soap, but a nice enough soap. Fresh.

4 hours in: Green soap.

5.5 hours in: Yup. Light and fresh green soap, but still green soap. Quite nice compared to other things.

 

Verdict: Pretty in a lot of ways, almost too evocative because of the pollen, and the soap it becomes isn't ideal. And yet, I liked it, overall. Especially the sweet, fresh grass at the beginning.

 

One word: Spring.

[zankoku_zen]

Sky City Before starts out with a blast of green grass and dandelions. But as it dries, it becomes more soapy. The final drydown are the hints of metal and marble.

 

It ends up as a fresh, green slightly masculine cologne on me.

 

Whee! An ultra-rare I don't love.

[grrrlennyl]

Sky City (Before)

 

On: Fresh flowers and grass. Very pretty and summery.

1.5 hours in: Grassy gardens.

2.5 hours in: Grass and flowers.

3.5 hours in: A faint, floral, grassy scent.

Overall: This just isn't very interesting on me, which is sad, since I usually really like dandelion and grass scents.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: This is sweet and oudoorsy. The ozone gives the predominantly green scent a special zing. It is lightly floral, but in an ecclectic garden sort of way rather than a perfumey sort of way. This smells like a lawn with a mixed garden verge just before it rains. The asphalt doesn’t smell that much like asfalt, but that and the metal, and stone, definitely give a sense of city, or at least suburban park. This manages to smell like the future and my childhood all at the same time. Wet: Tangy and almost fruity on the skin. It is cooler and more delicate on my skin. It’s an androgynous sort of feminine, if that makes sense. A lot of the city scents drop out, leaving the grass, ozone, and florals dominant. It’s less complex and exciting than it was, but still absolutely lovely. Dry: The fruity/floral effect dies down. It ends up being a sort of grass/ozone/drier sheet thing. It’s not as cool as it was, but not unpleasant.

[angelamaria]

In bottle: airy florals (dandelions definitely) and some grass. I get a bit of that metal as well.

 

Wet on skin: dandelions, fresh green grass and stalks, a gritty note that is supposed to be asphalt, I guess? Definitely very bright, airy, sweet, and perfect for a playful summer afternoon. Rather evocative!

 

Dry: there is a tinge of something "off" here, but it keeps eluding me; it's an "oily" feeling, and yet not. I know that's not very helpful! It doesn't morph and remains true to the wet stage; the "off-ness" is something I keep whiffing throughout the time of it on my skin but I can't quite put a finger on it. Maybe the ozone and chrome together is just making my nose wrinkle and react funnily?

 

Verdict: I started off really liking this and thinking it's definitely bottle-worthy, but after all the sniffs I've had I'm not sure if I can stand that aforementioned "off-ness" that I can't put a finger on. There is none of that in the bottle however, so it's likely my skin is the culprit. Oh well!

[Naomi Kelsey]

An unusual, fresh scent. I have a few other "ozonic" scents and this is different. I can make out the dandelion and grass, but it has a wet, bright scent that other "grass and hay" scents do not. I can't smell marble or metal but I know that they're in there.

Glad I got it--a light, fresh, delightful scent with no off notes.

4.5 out of 5.

[Cali]

It's really exactly the notes from the description on me, really. After a while it goes slightly more red/sweet on me which is a lovely surprise, but it's just this sharp, cold air with the slightest bit of metal and florals/greens.

[LizziesLuck]

I am a sucker for Dandelions. Hoping the metal doesn't ruin it for me!

 

Wet: Grass, flowers, dandelions. Lovely! Very fresh. A hint of sweetness. Smells like spring in a bottle.

 

 

Dry: Yay, no metal! Just fresh green things on me, mostly grass and dandelions, with hints of sweetness. Somewhat "dewy". I really love it, and will wear it in the spring. It's much stronger on me that Dandelions and Concrete, which I love but wish had more throw.

[doomsday_disco]

In the bottle: This really does smell like fresh air, green parks dotted with dandelions, and blooming gardens. The only note I’m worried about is the metal, as metal notes are often really sharp and cologne-like on me, but I’m not able to pick it out of the bottle, which gives me hope that this will behave on my skin.

 

Wet: The fresh air note, with the scent of flowers carried on a gentle breeze, is the first thing I get from this, followed by green grass riddled with dandelions. I get a little citrus, like orange peel, which makes me wonder if there’s orange blossom in this or something representing an orange tree, but it doesn’t stay long. Then I get a light, sweet apple note, making me think there must be an apple tree in this park.

 

Dry: This is the scent of apple trees and blooming flowers floating on a breeze. The scent seems to be getting cleaner over time, but it doesn’t smell like soap, fortunately.

 

Verdict: I wanted this because of the dandelion, but it did not end up playing a big role on me after the initial blast of it. Still, the scent is nice. It manages to smell clean without veering into soap territory. I think it would make a nice spring/early summer scent, but I think it would make an even better room scent. So I will hang on to my bottle and probably use it for both purposes (and probably try it in a scent locket to see if I can get more dandelion from it that way).

Edited August 14, 2018 by dementia_divine