Fragrance comparison

Jil Sander No. 4 vs Shanghai Shades

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 2,013 ratings analysed

2 wins

Jil Sander No. 4

Jil Sander

4.032,005 votes

Rank #682 AromaticPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

42%scent match

Some overlap

Shanghai Shades

Destino Paris

4.388 votes

Rank #21,662 Fresh SpicyAromatic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 2 of 4 categories.

Jil Sander No. 4
Choose it for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.
Shanghai Shades
Choose it for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Jil Sander No. 42/4

Shanghai Shades1/4

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Tie
Sillage & projection: Jil Sander No. 4
Value for money: Shanghai Shades
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Jil Sander No. 4

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Jil Sander No. 4Jil Sander

Shanghai ShadesDestino Paris

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.03/ 5 · 2,005 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.38/ 5 · 8 votes

Have 28%Had 5%Want 67%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

43%Like

5%Ok

13%Dislike

1%Hate

2,005 votes

38%Love

63%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

8 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage68

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate84

Category winners

LongevityTie

SillageJil Sander No. 4

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value70

¤ Price value85

Category winnerShanghai ShadesBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

powdery92%

woody84%

white floral77%

sweet69%

warm spicy61%

fresh spicy100%

aromatic92%

powdery84%

citrus77%

amber69%

white floral61%

Scent match42%Some overlap · both aromatic, powdery and white floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

PlumGalbanumPeachGeraniumRoseAniseBergamot

Heart

TuberoseCarnationNutmegYlang-YlangMyrrhJasmineHeliotropeTarragon

Base

CivetSandalwoodOakmossCorianderVanillaTonka BeanMuskAmbergris

Notes

VioletRoseAmbergrisBergamotJasminePatchouliCorianderBlack PepperVanilla

No top / heart / base split published

InformationalShared notesRose, Bergamot, Jasmine and Coriander. Durations are only published for Shanghai Shades, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring39

Summer0

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring57

Summer43

Fall100

Winter86

Day71

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men2

Unisex21

Women77

Men56

Unisex11

Women33

Date 32%Work 26%Casual 23%Party 20%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#682

PerfumerMichel Almairac

Launched—

Reviews193

Overall rank#21,662

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews5

Category winnerJil Sander No. 4Higher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Jil Sander No. 4 delivers a lush blend of spiced dark plum, velvety peach, and creamy tuberose layered over an earthy base of oakmoss, sandalwood, and warm vanilla. It opens with an unmistakable burst of sweet fruit and aromatic green galbanum before settling into a powdery floral heart warmed by nutmeg and carnation.…

Reviews →

Shanghai Shades by Destino Paris opens with a burst of bright bergamot and cracked black pepper before settling into an earthy, semi-sweet floral core. Violet takes center stage here, lending a clean, powdery texture that balances against velvety rose and rich vanilla. The spice from coriander gives the fragrance an e…

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, Jil Sander No. 4 or Shanghai Shades?

Jil Sander No. 4 takes 2 of 4 categories. Jil Sander No. 4 is rated 4.03/5 from 2,005 votes; Shanghai Shades is rated 4.38/5 from 8 votes. Choose Jil Sander No. 4 for a aromatic and powdery character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter. Choose Shanghai Shades for a fresh spicy and aromatic character. Wins on value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which lasts longer, Jil Sander No. 4 or Shanghai Shades?

They last about the same: Jil Sander No. 4 74/100, Shanghai Shades 74/100 for longevity in community votes.

Which projects more, Jil Sander No. 4 or Shanghai Shades?

Jil Sander No. 4 projects furthest (Jil Sander No. 4 68/100, Shanghai Shades 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Jil Sander No. 4 and Shanghai Shades smell similar?

Some overlap: a 42% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic, powdery and white floral accords. Common notes include Rose, Bergamot, Jasmine and Coriander.

Is Jil Sander No. 4 or Shanghai Shades better for summer or winter?

Shanghai Shades suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Jil Sander No. 4 and Shanghai Shades?

Jil Sander No. 4 has top notes of Plum, Galbanum, Peach and Geranium, heart notes of Tuberose, Carnation, Nutmeg and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Civet, Sandalwood, Oakmoss and Coriander. Shanghai Shades features Violet, Rose, Ambergris, Bergamot and Jasmine.