Fragrance comparison

L'Air du Temps vs Shanghai

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

Updated 19 Oct 2026 6,550 ratings analysed

2 wins

L'Air du Temps

Nina Ricci

3.716,548 votes

Rank #2,850 Warm SpicyFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

54%scent match

Some overlap

Shanghai

Lentheric

4.502 votes

Rank #51,190 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

L'Air du Temps takes 2 of 2 categories.

L'Air du Temps
Choose it for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring.
Shanghai
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

L'Air du Temps2/2

Shanghai0/2

Ratings & consensus: Not scored
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Not scored
Sillage & projection: L'Air du Temps
Value for money: Not scored
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: L'Air du Temps

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

L'Air du TempsNina Ricci

ShanghaiLentheric

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.71/ 5 · 6,548 votes

Have 54%Had 46%Want 0%

4.50/ 5 · 2 votes

Have 83%Had 0%Want 17%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

29%Love

41%Like

4%Ok

25%Dislike

1%Hate

6,548 votes

50%Love

50%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

2 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity66

〰 Sillage59

♥ Love / hate68

⏱ LongevityN/A

〰 Sillage50

♥ Love / hate88

Category winners

LongevityNo data

SillageL'Air du Temps

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price valueN/A

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

floral92%

woody84%

powdery77%

white floral69%

aromatic61%

warm spicy100%

amber92%

aromatic84%

woody77%

fresh spicy69%

floral61%

Scent match54%Some overlap · both warm spicy, woody and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

CarnationAldehydesRoseNeroliBrazilian RosewoodPeachBergamot

Heart

ClovesGardeniaJasmineYlang-YlangVioletOrris RootRosemaryOrchid

Base

SpicesIrisOakmossMuskSandalwoodBenzoinAmberVetiver

Top15-30 mins

AldehydesBergamotCinnamonHyacinthCloveVerbenaLavender

Heart2-4 hrs

Bulgarian RoseFrankincenseCarnationGeraniumJasmineSpices

Base6-8+ hrs

SandalwoodCedarwoodBenzoinOakmossVetiverAmberMyrrhTonka

InformationalShared notesCarnation, Aldehydes, Rose and Bergamot. Durations are only published for Shanghai, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter42

Day–

Night–

Spring0

Summer0

Fall100

Winter0

Day32

Night100

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men1

Unisex10

Women89

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Date 39%Casual 26%Work 19%Party 15%

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#2,850

PerfumerFrancis Fabron

Launched—

Reviews205

Overall rank#51,190

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews1

Category winnerL'Air du TempsHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

L'Air du Temps by Nina Ricci centers on a sharp, spicy carnation surrounded by crisp aldehydes and green gardenia. Bergamot brightens the initial spray, while clove, iris, and sandalwood create a clean, powdery finish. It wears light on spring mornings, offering a dry soapy feel that suits formal daytime wear and clea…

Reviews →

Shanghai by Lentheric is an early twentieth-century oriental floral built on spicy heat and deep resins. It kicks off with a sharp snap of clove, cinnamon, and soapy aldehydes before smoothing out into rich Bulgarian rose and peppery carnation. The base runs dark and slow. Myrrh, frankincense, and aged oakmoss give th…

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, L'Air du Temps or Shanghai?

L'Air du Temps takes 2 of 2 categories. L'Air du Temps is rated 3.71/5 from 6,548 votes; Shanghai is rated 4.50/5 from 2 votes. Choose L'Air du Temps for a warm spicy and floral character. Wins on sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in spring. Choose Shanghai for a warm spicy and amber character. Best in fall, evening wear.

Which projects more, L'Air du Temps or Shanghai?

L'Air du Temps projects furthest (L'Air du Temps 59/100, Shanghai 50/100), based on community performance votes.

Do L'Air du Temps and Shanghai smell similar?

Some overlap: a 54% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share warm spicy, woody and floral accords. Common notes include Carnation, Aldehydes, Rose and Bergamot.

Is L'Air du Temps or Shanghai better for summer or winter?

Shanghai suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in L'Air du Temps and Shanghai?

L'Air du Temps has top notes of Carnation, Aldehydes, Rose and Neroli, heart notes of Cloves, Gardenia, Jasmine and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Spices, Iris, Oakmoss and Musk. Shanghai has top notes of Aldehydes, Bergamot, Cinnamon and Hyacinth, heart notes of Bulgarian Rose, Frankincense, Carnation and Geranium, a base of Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Benzoin and Oakmoss.