Fragrance comparison

ANNCESTRAL vs Shanghai

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 19 Oct 2026 4 ratings analysed

2 wins

ANNCESTRAL

Lehmann

5.002 votes

Rank #34,254 AmberAnis

Full profile Similar & dupes

26%scent match

Clearly different

Shanghai

Lentheric

4.502 votes

Rank #51,190 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

ANNCESTRAL takes 2 of 3 categories.

ANNCESTRAL
Choose it for a amber and anis character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear.
Shanghai
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

ANNCESTRAL2/3

Shanghai0/3

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: ANNCESTRAL
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Tie
Fragranxe ranking: ANNCESTRAL

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

ANNCESTRALLehmann

ShanghaiLentheric

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

5.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 25%Had 0%Want 75%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 83%Had 0%Want 17%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate100

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageANNCESTRAL

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value13

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

amber100%

anis91%

soft spicy83%

sweet74%

balsamic65%

powdery56%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

floral61%

Scent match26%Clearly different · both amber

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

Star AniseRoseBergamotPepperLemon

Heart3-4 hrs

MyrrhOpoponaxCopal

Base7-9 hrs

VanillaAmberSandalwoodCedarwoodSiamBenzoinVetiver

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesBergamotCinnamonHyacinthCloveVerbenaLavender

Heart2-4 hrs

Bulgarian RoseFrankincenseCarnationGeraniumJasmineSpices

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodCedarwoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverAmberMyrrhTonka

Category winnerTieSame dry-down length

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring67

Summer0

Fall100

Winter67

Day44

Night100

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 37%Casual 29%Party 18%Work 16%

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 39%Casual 26%Work 19%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#34,254

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Overall rank#51,190

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerANNCESTRALHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

ANNCESTRAL by Lehmann is an amber woody fragrance rooted in ancient resin traditions. It starts with a sharp prickle of black pepper, bright lemon, and crisp bergamot. That initial sparkle is fleeting. Within minutes, a distinct licorice twist of star anise emerges alongside a faint, dry rose petal note. The perfume q…

Reviews →

Shanghai by Lentheric is an early twentieth-century oriental floral built on spicy heat and deep resins. It kicks off with a sharp snap of clove, cinnamon, and soapy aldehydes before smoothing out into rich Bulgarian rose and peppery carnation. The base runs dark and slow. Myrrh, frankincense, and aged oakmoss give th…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, ANNCESTRAL or Shanghai?

ANNCESTRAL takes 2 of 3 categories. ANNCESTRAL is rated 5.00/5 from 2 votes; Shanghai is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose ANNCESTRAL for a amber and anis character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Shanghai for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which projects more, ANNCESTRAL or Shanghai?

ANNCESTRAL projects furthest (ANNCESTRAL 63/100, Shanghai 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do ANNCESTRAL and Shanghai smell similar?

Clearly different: a 26% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber accords. Common notes include Rose, Bergamot, Myrrh and Amber.

Is ANNCESTRAL or Shanghai better for summer or winter?

ANNCESTRAL suits evening wear; Shanghai suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in ANNCESTRAL and Shanghai?

ANNCESTRAL has top notes of Star Anise, Rose, Bergamot and Pepper, heart notes of Myrrh, Opoponax and Copal, a base of Vanilla, Amber, Sandalwood and Cedarwood. Shanghai has top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Hyacinth, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Frankincense, Carnation and Geranium, a base of Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.