Fragrance comparison

Magic vs Shanghai 1930

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

Updated 30 Oct 2026 273 ratings analysed

6 wins

Magic

Marilyn Miglin

4.1429 votes

Rank #20,879 Yellow FloralPowdery

Full profile Similar & dupes

37%scent match

Some overlap

Shanghai 1930

Astrophil & Stella

3.95244 votes

Rank #28,032 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Magic takes 6 of 7 categories.

Magic
Choose it for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Shanghai 1930
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring.

Magic6/7

Shanghai 19301/7

Ratings & consensus: Magic
Community sentiment: Magic
Longevity: Shanghai 1930
Sillage & projection: Magic
Value for money: Magic
Versatility: Magic
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Magic

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

MagicMarilyn Miglin

Shanghai 1930Astrophil & Stella

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.14/ 5 · 29 votes

Have 38%Had 18%Want 44%

3.95/ 5 · 244 votes

Have 31%Had 10%Want 59%

Category winnerMagicRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

38%Love

52%Like

0%Ok

7%Dislike

3%Hate

29 votes

39%Love

32%Like

18%Ok

9%Dislike

2%Hate

244 votes

Category winnerMagicMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity69

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate78

⏱ Longevity77

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate74

Category winners

LongevityShanghai 1930

SillageMagic

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value43

Category winnerMagicBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

yellow floral100%

powdery92%

vanilla84%

floral77%

sweet69%

tuberose61%

white floral100%

floral92%

sweet84%

tuberose77%

fruity69%

green61%

Scent match37%Some overlap · both floral, sweet and tuberose

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

HeliotropeTuberoseYlang-YlangMimosaVanillaPlumGeraniumMagnolia

No top / heart / base split published

Top

Green TeaMangoViolet LeavesPlumCinnamon

Heart

TuberoseJasmine SambacMagnoliaYlang-YlangChampacaOrchid

Base

VanillaTonka BeanSandalwoodAmberMyrrh

InformationalShared notesTuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla and Plum. Durations are only published for Magic, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring50

Summer17

Fall100

Winter67

Day100

Night67

Spring100

Summer75

Fall0

Winter34

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMagicMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

Men2

Unisex28

Women70

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#20,879

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#28,032

PerfumerArturetto Landi

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerMagicHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Magic by Marilyn Miglin delivers an unapologetic bouquet of traditional florals centered on golden mimosa, ylang-ylang, and plush heliotrope. Opening with a pronounced yellow floral burst, the composition immediately reveals sweet plum and creamy magnolia before setting into a powdery texture. Tuberose and geranium ad…

Reviews →

Shanghai 1930 opens with a crisp burst of green tea and tart violet leaves before turning lush and sweet. Tart plum and green mango cut through the initial spray, keeping the fruity top from feeling syrupy. Within twenty minutes, the opening yields to a dense heart of tuberose, jasmine sambac, and buttery ylang-ylang.…

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.

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Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Magic or Shanghai 1930?

Magic takes 6 of 7 categories. Magic is rated 4.14/5 from 29 votes; Shanghai 1930 is rated 3.95/5 from 244 votes. Choose Magic for a yellow floral and powdery character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Shanghai 1930 for a white floral and floral character. Wins on longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Magic or Shanghai 1930?

Shanghai 1930 lasts longest (Shanghai 1930 77/100, Magic 69/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Magic or Shanghai 1930?

Projection is very close: Magic 63/100, Shanghai 1930 61/100 for sillage.

Do Magic and Shanghai 1930 smell similar?

Some overlap: a 37% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share floral, sweet and tuberose accords. Common notes include Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Vanilla and Plum.

Is Magic or Shanghai 1930 better for summer or winter?

For summer, Shanghai 1930 is the stronger pick. For winter, Magic is the stronger pick. Magic suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Magic and Shanghai 1930?

Magic features Heliotrope, Tuberose, Ylang-Ylang, Mimosa and Vanilla. Shanghai 1930 has top notes of Green Tea, Mango, Violet Leaves and Plum, heart notes of Tuberose, Jasmine Sambac, Magnolia and Ylang-Ylang, a base of Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Sandalwood and Amber.