Fragrance comparison

Creatively Shanghai vs Aqua & Hemp

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 577 ratings analysed

4 wins

Creatively Shanghai

Zara

4.06559 votes

Rank #4,693 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

23%scent match

Clearly different

Aqua & Hemp

Aéropostale

3.6718 votes

Rank #38,978 AromaticLavender

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Creatively Shanghai takes 4 of 5 categories.

Creatively Shanghai
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring.
Aqua & Hemp
Choose it for a aromatic and lavender character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Creatively Shanghai4/5

Aqua & Hemp0/5

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Creatively ShanghaiZara

Aqua & HempAéropostale

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 559 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.67/ 5 · 18 votes

Have 67%Had 18%Want 16%

Category winnerCreatively ShanghaiRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

39%Love

38%Like

14%Ok

8%Dislike

1%Hate

559 votes

17%Love

44%Like

28%Ok

11%Dislike

0%Hate

18 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity44

〰 Sillage43

♥ Love / hate67

Category winners

LongevityCreatively Shanghai

SillageCreatively Shanghai

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value77

Category winnerTieBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

warm spicy83%

woody65%

aromatic48%

fruity30%

aromatic100%

lavender92%

marine84%

cannabis77%

green69%

salty61%

Scent match23%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin Orange

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Cedar

Top

AppleMandarin OrangeCardamom

Heart

Wild LavenderAquatic notesSage

Base

cannabisAmbergrisCedar

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Cardamom and Cedar. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter31

Day–

Night–

Spring57

Summer100

Fall7

Winter29

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex65

Women31

Men82

Unisex18

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,693

PerfumerJo Malone

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#38,978

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews3

Category winnerCreatively ShanghaiHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Creatively Shanghai by Zara opens with a lively splash of mandarin orange peel, balancing juicy citrus brightness with a subtle rind bitterness. Perfumer Jo Malone structures this woody aromatic blend around a heart of crushed cardamom that adds dry spice without turning heavy. As the initial citrus pop simmers down, …

Reviews →

Aqua & Hemp is a light, budget-friendly aquatic that opens fresh, fruity, and aromatic, with apple, mandarin, lavender, and sage giving it an easy summer feel. It usually reads clean first, then greener and more unusual as the cannabis note starts to show. That twist is what will decide it for most people. Some wearer…

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, Creatively Shanghai or Aqua & Hemp?

Creatively Shanghai takes 4 of 5 categories. Creatively Shanghai is rated 4.06/5 from 559 votes; Aqua & Hemp is rated 3.67/5 from 18 votes. Choose Creatively Shanghai for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and sillage & projection. Best in spring. Choose Aqua & Hemp for a aromatic and lavender character. Best in summer, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Creatively Shanghai or Aqua & Hemp?

Creatively Shanghai lasts longest (Creatively Shanghai 55/100, Aqua & Hemp 44/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Creatively Shanghai or Aqua & Hemp?

Creatively Shanghai projects furthest (Creatively Shanghai 47/100, Aqua & Hemp 43/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Creatively Shanghai and Aqua & Hemp smell similar?

Clearly different: a 23% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Cardamom and Cedar.

Is Creatively Shanghai or Aqua & Hemp better for summer or winter?

Aqua & Hemp suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Creatively Shanghai and Aqua & Hemp?

Creatively Shanghai has top notes of Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Cedar. Aqua & Hemp has top notes of Apple, Mandarin Orange and Cardamom, heart notes of Wild Lavender, Aquatic notes and Sage, a base of cannabis, Ambergris and Cedar.