Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 vs Shanghai Butterfly

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 284 ratings analysed

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016

Marc Jacobs

3.69118 votes

Rank #18,796 PowderyCitrus

Full profile Similar & dupes

45%scent match

Some overlap

5 wins

Shanghai Butterfly

Nanette Lepore

3.79166 votes

Rank #10,082 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shanghai Butterfly takes 5 of 7 categories.

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016
Choose it for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Shanghai Butterfly
Choose it for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 20161/7

Shanghai Butterfly5/7

Ratings & consensus: Shanghai Butterfly
Community sentiment: Shanghai Butterfly
Longevity: Shanghai Butterfly
Sillage & projection: Tie
Value for money: Shanghai Butterfly
Versatility: Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Shanghai Butterfly

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016Marc Jacobs

Shanghai ButterflyNanette Lepore

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.69/ 5 · 118 votes

Have 35%Had 16%Want 49%

3.79/ 5 · 166 votes

Have 37%Had 25%Want 39%

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

21%Love

50%Like

5%Ok

24%Dislike

0%Hate

118 votes

24%Love

51%Like

5%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

166 votes

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity45

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate67

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityShanghai Butterfly

SillageTie

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value64

¤ Price value67

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

citrus91%

aquatic83%

woody74%

fresh65%

musky56%

citrus100%

woody92%

white floral84%

fresh77%

fruity69%

floral61%

Scent match45%Some overlap · both citrus, woody and fresh

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

Watery NotesBergamotWhite PeachMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart1.5-3 hrs

Cotton FlowerLavenderJasmineLily-of-the-Valley

Base3-5 hrs

MuskWhite WoodsSuedeSandalwood

Top

LemonMandarin OrangeGreen AppleCarnation

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyJasmineRoseGardenia

Base

CedarWhite WoodsMuskSandalwood

InformationalShared notesMandarin Orange, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Musk. Durations are only published for Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring97

Summer100

Fall41

Winter28

Day100

Night17

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter11

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016Most year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men18

Unisex73

Women9

Casual 48%Work 39%Date 8%Party 5%

Men8

Unisex25

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,796

PerfumerSteven Claisse

Launched—

Reviews9

Overall rank#10,082

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews40

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 captures the comforting smell of freshly laundered cotton t-shirts drying in the summer breeze. It is remarkably light. The fragrance opens with a bright splash of mandarin orange, watery notes, and crisp bergamot before softening into a delicate heart of cotton flower and lily-of-the-va…

Reviews →

Shanghai Butterfly by Nanette Lepore is a crisp, wood-anchored citrus floral launched in 2005. It blends bright lemon and green apple with a soft middle of jasmine and gardenia, settling into a dry cedar and sandalwood base. This clean, understated scent fits relaxed warm-weather afternoons and casual daytime wear.

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, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Shanghai Butterfly?

Shanghai Butterfly takes 5 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 is rated 3.69/5 from 118 votes; Shanghai Butterfly is rated 3.79/5 from 166 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 for a powdery and citrus character. Wins on versatility. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Shanghai Butterfly for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in spring.

Which lasts longer, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Shanghai Butterfly?

Shanghai Butterfly lasts longest (Shanghai Butterfly 61/100, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 45/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Shanghai Butterfly?

Projection is very close: Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 56/100, Shanghai Butterfly 56/100 for sillage.

Do Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 and Shanghai Butterfly smell similar?

Some overlap: a 45% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, woody and fresh accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Jasmine, Lily-of-the-Valley and Musk.

Is Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 or Shanghai Butterfly better for summer or winter?

For summer, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 is the stronger pick. For winter, Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 is the stronger pick. Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 and Shanghai Butterfly?

Marc Jacobs Cotton Splash 2016 has top notes of Watery Notes, Bergamot, White Peach and Mandarin Orange, heart notes of Cotton Flower, Lavender, Jasmine and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, White Woods, Suede and Sandalwood. Shanghai Butterfly has top notes of Lemon, Mandarin Orange, Green Apple and Carnation, heart notes of Lily-of-the-Valley, Jasmine, Rose and Gardenia, a base of Cedar, White Woods, Musk and Sandalwood.