Josh MeyerThe nose · 37 fragrances · also made Blend No.83 (2023)Portrait →Will you like it? Mark a few fragrances you own or love and we'll tell you.
Imaginary Authors · Sold as unisex
A City On Fire
The rush of morning commuters on a city street, where the smell of coffee mixes with exhaust fumes and fresh air.
Full bottle: Premium tier, typically $100–250. Links open each seller's own page. We may earn a commission; it never changes the order.
A City On FirePremium · $100–250
36%Similar accords, often for lessBoss Bottled Elixir · Hugo BossMid-range tier, $40–100 · shares labdanum and cardamom8 matches →How it wears
From community votes · bars are each option's shareComposition & Character
Notes Pyramid
Main Accords
When to Wear
Who Wears It
The story behind the bottle.
Launched in 2014 by Imaginary Authors, A City On Fire is a Woody Aromatic fragrance created by perfumer Josh Meyer. This composition captures the essence of a bustling urban landscape — smoky and earthy with undertones of fresh spice and herbal notes. The opening hints at crisp, aromatic freshness that gradually gives way to a warm, woody base infused with amber. It's a scent that evokes the feeling of being immersed in a city's energy, where the tension between fresh, spicy elements and smoky warmth creates a dynamic olfactory experience.
Apply A City On Fire to pulse points for maximum impact. The smoky and herbal notes are most pronounced initially but settle into a warm woody base that lasts throughout the day. It's best suited for daytime wear when you want a scent that captures the energy of urban life without overpowering it.
Fig. 01 — A City On Fire, Imaginary Authors
Where to buy.
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Josh Meyer
Scent as literary provocationJosh Meyer is an American perfumer who developed refined tastes early in life around whiskey, literature, cuisine, and music before deciding in 2010 to pursue perfumery.
Designer Imaginary Authors
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Chosen from what wearers say it smells like, what its fans also love, and its notes
Love it, not the $100–250 price?
Matched by accords and notes. Sample first, then decide.
The originalA City On FireImaginary Authors · Premium · $100–250Hugo Boss · 2023Boss Bottled ElixirShares Labdanum and Cardamom$40–100★ 4.33 (4,770)36%Match
Rabanne · 2014Black XS Potion for HimShares Juniper and Labdanum$40–100★ 4.30 (328)41%Match
Al Haramain PerfumesAmazing MukhallathShares Juniper, Labdanum and Cardamomunder $40★ 4.64 (33)
With Imaginary Authors The Abandoned Mansion
Adds mossy and fresh; shares four accords.
Suggested from accords and notes · not yet tried by wearers
What people
are saying.
A polarising scent: loved by 26%, disliked or hated by 31%.