Review of New York the City of Dreams by Yaroslavna Lasytsya

New York City of Dreams opens with watery cherry and warm nutmeg—a tempting contrast between cool juiciness and soft, cushiony spice. Cognac seems to flow into the nutmeg, lending a lightly boozy inflection rather than a pronounced alcoholic warmth. There is something immediately inviting about this opening: rich enough to suggest autumn, yet fresh enough to keep its softness from becoming heavy. Rose introduces a delicate, morning-like freshness, diffused through the powdery gold of mimosa. To my nose, the cherry and rose gradually become a single impression: sugared petals touched with a fruity drizzle, exquisitely compelling in their mingling of sweetness and watery clarity. That aqueous quality remains important throughout, giving the spicy composition movement and dimension rather than allowing it to settle into something flat or linear. The cherry stages a welcome return through the heart, supported by labdanum’s languid embrace. Beneath it, light woods shaded by the coolness of oakmoss provide an elegant structural hold. The base supports rather than dominates, preserving the balance between soft florals, warm spice and that persistent thread of juicy freshness. This is what a cashmere sweater should smell like on a frosty Saturday morning: spicy-floral, faintly boozy, with a soft woody foundation. Rich and gentle at once, New York City of Dreams feels versatile without becoming anonymous, and distinctive without assaulting the senses. To me, it sits comfortably within contemporary tastes while retaining enough individuality to remain genuinely interesting.