Fragrance comparison

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton vs Shanghai Butterfly

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

Updated 16 Oct 2026 244 ratings analysed

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton

Marc Jacobs

3.7978 votes

Rank #18,394 PowderyWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

43%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Shanghai Butterfly

Nanette Lepore

3.79166 votes

Rank #10,098 CitrusWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shanghai Butterfly takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton3/7

Shanghai Butterfly4/7

Ratings & consensus: Shanghai Butterfly
Community sentiment: Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton
Longevity: Shanghai Butterfly
Sillage & projection: Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton
Value for money: Shanghai Butterfly
Versatility: Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton
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 Splash CottonMarc Jacobs

Shanghai ButterflyNanette Lepore

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.79/ 5 · 78 votes

Have 17%Had 13%Want 71%

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

23%Love

53%Like

5%Ok

19%Dislike

0%Hate

78 votes

24%Love

51%Like

5%Ok

19%Dislike

1%Hate

166 votes

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Splash CottonMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity46

〰 Sillage69

♥ Love / hate70

⏱ Longevity61

〰 Sillage56

♥ Love / hate70

Category winners

LongevityShanghai Butterfly

SillageMarc Jacobs Splash Cotton

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value67

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

powdery100%

woody92%

citrus84%

musky77%

floral69%

lavender61%

citrus100%

woody92%

white floral84%

fresh77%

fruity69%

floral61%

Scent match43%Some overlap · both woody, citrus and floral

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

White PeachBergamotMandarin OrangeOrange

Heart2-4 hrs

Cotton FlowerLavenderLily-of-the-Valley

Base4-6 hrs

MuskWhite WoodsWhite SuedeSandalwood

Top

LemonMandarin OrangeGreen AppleCarnation

Heart

Lily-of-the-ValleyJasmineRoseGardenia

Base

CedarWhite WoodsMuskSandalwood

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

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer72

Fall32

Winter20

Day100

Night11

Spring100

Summer0

Fall0

Winter11

Day–

Night–

Category winnerMarc Jacobs Splash CottonMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men14

Unisex43

Women43

Casual 47%Work 37%Date 9%Party 7%

Men8

Unisex25

Women67

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#18,394

PerfumerCarlos Viñals

Launched—

Reviews10

Overall rank#10,098

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews40

Category winnerShanghai ButterflyHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton smells like fresh laundry drying in crisp spring sunlight. It gets straight to the point. You get a sharp burst of mandarin orange and bergamot right away, mixed with a gentle white peach sweetness. Within ten minutes, that citrus snap mellows out completely. What remains is a soft heart of c…

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 Splash Cotton or Shanghai Butterfly?

Shanghai Butterfly takes 4 of 7 categories. Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton is rated 3.79/5 from 78 votes; Shanghai Butterfly is rated 3.79/5 from 166 votes. Choose Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton for a powdery and woody character. Wins on community sentiment, sillage & projection and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Shanghai Butterfly for a citrus and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, longevity and value for money. Best in spring.

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

Shanghai Butterfly lasts longest (Shanghai Butterfly 61/100, Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton 46/100), based on community performance votes.

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

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton projects furthest (Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton 69/100, Shanghai Butterfly 56/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton and Shanghai Butterfly smell similar?

Some overlap: a 43% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share woody, citrus and floral accords. Common notes include Mandarin Orange, Lily-of-the-Valley, Musk and White Woods.

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

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

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

Marc Jacobs Splash Cotton has top notes of White Peach, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange and Orange, heart notes of Cotton Flower, Lavender and Lily-of-the-Valley, a base of Musk, White Woods, White 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.