Fragrance comparison

Creatively Shanghai vs Nordic Waters for Him

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

Updated 13 Oct 2026 707 ratings analysed

Creatively Shanghai

Zara

4.06559 votes

Rank #4,693 CitrusWarm Spicy

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Nordic Waters for Him

Oriflame

3.99148 votes

Rank #6,205 CitrusAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3.

Creatively Shanghai
Choose it for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Nordic Waters for Him
Choose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Creatively Shanghai3/7

Nordic Waters for Him3/7

Ratings & consensus: Creatively Shanghai
Community sentiment: Tie
Longevity: Nordic Waters for Him
Sillage & projection: Nordic Waters for Him
Value for money: Nordic Waters for Him
Versatility: Creatively Shanghai
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

Nordic Waters for HimOriflame

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.06/ 5 · 559 votes

Have 80%Had 20%Want 0%

3.99/ 5 · 148 votes

Have 56%Had 19%Want 25%

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

39%Love

40%Like

10%Ok

6%Dislike

5%Hate

87 votes

Category winnerTieMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity55

〰 Sillage47

♥ Love / hate77

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate77

Category winners

LongevityNordic Waters for Him

SillageNordic Waters for Him

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value77

¤ Price value83

Category winnerNordic Waters for HimBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

citrus100%

warm spicy83%

woody65%

aromatic48%

fruity30%

citrus100%

aromatic83%

marine65%

aquatic48%

warm spicy30%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and warm spicy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

Mandarin Orange

Heart

Cardamom

Base

Cedar

Top

LemonMandarin OrangeCardamom

Heart

Sea NotesViolet LeavesCoriander

Base

MuskCedarMoss

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–

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter18

Day–

Night–

Category winnerCreatively ShanghaiMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men4

Unisex65

Women31

Men87

Unisex13

Women0

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#4,693

PerfumerJo Malone

Launched—

Reviews71

Overall rank#6,205

PerfumerFabrice Pellegrin

Launched—

Reviews33

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 →

Nordic Waters for Him is a fresh citrus aquatic with mandarin, lemon and a light salty marine feel. On skin it often reads clean, watery and slightly sweet rather than icy or strongly oceanic, with soft musk, cedar and moss keeping the dry-down easy to wear. It suits casual days, warm weather, after-shower use and any…

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 Nordic Waters for Him?

No clear winner: the 7 categories split 3–3. Creatively Shanghai is rated 4.06/5 from 559 votes; Nordic Waters for Him is rated 3.99/5 from 148 votes. Choose Creatively Shanghai for a citrus and warm spicy character. Wins on ratings & consensus, versatility and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Nordic Waters for Him for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Creatively Shanghai or Nordic Waters for Him?

Nordic Waters for Him lasts longest (Nordic Waters for Him 67/100, Creatively Shanghai 55/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Creatively Shanghai or Nordic Waters for Him?

Nordic Waters for Him projects furthest (Nordic Waters for Him 56/100, Creatively Shanghai 47/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Creatively Shanghai and Nordic Waters for Him smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and warm spicy accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Cardamom and Cedar.

Is Creatively Shanghai or Nordic Waters for Him better for summer or winter?

For summer, Creatively Shanghai is the stronger pick. For winter, Creatively Shanghai is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Creatively Shanghai and Nordic Waters for Him?

Creatively Shanghai has top notes of Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cardamom, a base of Cedar. Nordic Waters for Him has top notes of Lemon, Mandarin Orange and Cardamom, heart notes of Sea Notes, Violet Leaves and Coriander, a base of Musk, Cedar and Moss.