Fragrance comparison

Ching Shih vs Salalah

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 94 ratings analysed

Ching Shih

Marissa Zappas

3.9689 votes

Rank #15,498 SmokyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Salalah

Reine de Saba

5.005 votes

Rank #32,778 PowderyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Salalah takes 3 of 4 categories.

Ching Shih
Choose it for a smoky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Salalah
Choose it for a powdery and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Ching Shih1/4

Salalah3/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Salalah
Sillage & projection: Salalah
Value for money: Salalah
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

SalalahReine de Saba

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.96/ 5 · 89 votes

Have 25%Had 4%Want 71%

5.00/ 5 · 5 votes

Have 18%Had 0%Want 82%

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

100%Love

0%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

5 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage46

♥ Love / hate74

⏱ Longevity80

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate100

Category winners

LongevitySalalah

SillageSalalah

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value47

¤ Price value50

Category winnerSalalahBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

smoky100%

amber91%

warm spicy83%

floral74%

fruity65%

balsamic56%

powdery100%

floral92%

woody84%

musky77%

warm spicy69%

iris61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both floral and warm spicy

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

Pink PepperCardamomBergamot

Heart

OrrisMagnoliaJasmine Sambac

Base

IncenseMuskCashmeranWoody NotesVanillaSpices

InformationalShared notesIncense, Orris and Spices. 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

Spring100

Summer100

Fall100

Winter100

Day100

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex67

Women15

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#15,498

PerfumerMarissa Zappas

Launched—

Reviews22

Overall rank#32,778

PerfumerHabib Al Sowaidi

Launched—

Reviews1

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 →

Salalah is a clean, musky floral with a peppery, cardamom-bright opening and a soft, powdered iris heart. Magnolia and jasmine sambac add a smooth white-floral sheen rather than a loud bouquet. As it dries down, incense and woods warm the scent, with cashmeran and vanilla giving a gentle, lightly spiced comfort. Unise…

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 Salalah?

Salalah takes 3 of 4 categories. Ching Shih is rated 3.96/5 from 89 votes; Salalah is rated 5.00/5 from 5 votes. Choose Ching Shih for a smoky and amber character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Salalah for a powdery and floral character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring, day or night wear.

Which lasts longer, Ching Shih or Salalah?

Salalah lasts longest (Salalah 80/100, Ching Shih 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Ching Shih or Salalah?

Salalah projects furthest (Salalah 50/100, Ching Shih 46/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Ching Shih and Salalah smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Incense, Orris and Spices.

Is Ching Shih or Salalah better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Ching Shih and Salalah?

Ching Shih features Incense, Osmanthus, gunpowder, Myrrh and Orris. Salalah has top notes of Pink Pepper, Cardamom and Bergamot, heart notes of Orris, Magnolia and Jasmine Sambac, a base of Incense, Musk, Cashmeran and Woody Notes.