Fragrance comparison

Ching Shih vs Dulcis Nectar

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 91 ratings analysed

1 wins

Ching Shih

Marissa Zappas

3.9689 votes

Rank #15,498 SmokyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

44%scent match

Some overlap

Dulcis Nectar

The Merchant of Venice

2.002 votes

Rank #75,392 AmberWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Ching Shih takes 1 of 1 categories.

Ching Shih
Choose it for a smoky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Dulcis Nectar
Choose it for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Ching Shih1/1

Dulcis Nectar0/1

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Ching ShihMarissa Zappas

Dulcis NectarThe Merchant of Venice

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 71%

2.00/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 9%Had 0%Want 91%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

34%Love

38%Like

20%Ok

6%Dislike

2%Hate

89 votes

0%Love

0%Like

50%Ok

0%Dislike

50%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 SillageN/A

♥ Love / hate25

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageNo data

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

amber91%

warm spicy83%

floral74%

fruity65%

balsamic56%

amber100%

warm spicy91%

balsamic83%

sweet74%

cinnamon65%

iris56%

Scent match44%Some overlap · both amber, warm spicy and balsamic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

IncenseOsmanthusgunpowderMyrrhOrrisSpices

No top / heart / base split published

Top

CardamomCinnamonBroom

Heart

LabdanumOpoponaxOrris

Base

IncenseMyrrhOrcanox™

InformationalShared notesIncense, Myrrh and Orris. Durations are only published for Ching Shih, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring42

Summer17

Fall100

Winter78

Day100

Night72

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex67

Women15

Men50

Unisex0

Women50

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,498

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews22

Overall rank#75,392

PerfumerVéronique Nyberg

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerChing ShihHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Ching Shih by Marissa Zappas is a smoky and warm spicy unisex perfume built around a vivid contrast of burnt gunpowder and delicate osmanthus. The scent opens with a flash of dry smoke, sulfurous powder, and sharp spices before settling into a soft floral fruitiness. As it warms on the skin, earthy orris introduces a …

Reviews →

Dulcis Nectar by The Merchant of Venice greets you with a warm rush of ground cinnamon and crushed green cardamom, softened almost immediately by the sweet herbal honey tones of broom flower. As it warms on your skin, rich balsamic resins take over, blending sticky labdanum and warm opoponax with a smooth layer of pow…

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, Ching Shih or Dulcis Nectar?

Ching Shih takes 1 of 1 categories. Ching Shih is rated 3.96/5 from 89 votes; Dulcis Nectar is rated 2.00/5 from 2 votes. Choose Ching Shih for a smoky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Dulcis Nectar for a amber and warm spicy character. Best in fall, day or night wear.

Do Ching Shih and Dulcis Nectar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 44% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share amber, warm spicy and balsamic accords. Common notes include Incense, Myrrh and Orris.

Is Ching Shih or Dulcis Nectar better for summer or winter?

Ching Shih suits daytime wear; Dulcis Nectar suits day or night wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Ching Shih and Dulcis Nectar?

Ching Shih features Incense, Osmanthus, gunpowder, Myrrh and Orris. Dulcis Nectar has top notes of Cardamom, Cinnamon and Broom, heart notes of Labdanum, Opoponax and Orris, a base of Incense, Myrrh and Orcanox™.