Fragrance comparison

Shanghai vs Secreto de Gardenia

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

Updated 7 Nov 2026 26 ratings analysed

2 wins

Shanghai

Marks & Spencer

3.754 votes

Rank #56,191 AmberVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

15%scent match

Clearly different

Secreto de Gardenia

Victorio & Lucchino

3.8622 votes

Rank #53,776 White FloralFloral

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Shanghai takes 2 of 3 categories.

Shanghai
Choose it for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear.
Secreto de Gardenia
Choose it for a white floral and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Shanghai2/3

Secreto de Gardenia1/3

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ShanghaiMarks & Spencer

Secreto de GardeniaVictorio & Lucchino

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.75/ 5 · 4 votes

Have 9%Had 9%Want 83%

3.86/ 5 · 22 votes

Have 41%Had 21%Want 37%

Category winnerNot enough dataRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

0%Love

75%Like

25%Ok

0%Dislike

0%Hate

4 votes · too few to score

23%Love

59%Like

0%Ok

18%Dislike

0%Hate

22 votes · too few to score

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity67

〰 Sillage75

♥ Love / hate69

⏱ Longevity48

〰 Sillage61

♥ Love / hate72

Category winners

LongevityShanghai

SillageShanghai

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price valueN/A

¤ Price value75

Category winnerNot enough dataBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family

amber100%

vanilla88%

sweet77%

powdery65%

fruity53%

musky42%

white floral100%

floral92%

green84%

citrus77%

woody69%

lactonic61%

Scent match15%Clearly different

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15 to 30 minutes

Blood Orange

Heart1 to 2 hours

ApricotFreesia

Base2 to 4 hours

AmberTonka BeanMusk

Top

BergamotGreen Grass

Heart

GardeniaFreesiaJasmineApricot

Base

CedarAmberMusk

InformationalShared notesApricot, Freesia, Amber and Musk. Durations are only published for Shanghai, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring14

Summer14

Fall100

Winter71

Day100

Night80

Spring100

Summer64

Fall64

Winter45

Day100

Night33

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Not enough votes yet

Men0

Unisex0

Women100

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#56,191

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews2

Overall rank#53,776

PerfumerNot listed

Launched—

Reviews0

Category winnerSecreto de GardeniaHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Shanghai by Marks & Spencer offers a gentle introduction to warm resinous scents for women. The opening brings a crisp burst of blood orange, which quickly softens into a heart of juicy apricot and clean freesia. As the fragrance settles, a base of smooth amber, tonka bean, and musk creates a cozy, sweet aura that sta…

Reviews →

Victorio & Lucchino Secreto de Gardenia hits the skin with a crisp, wet green grass accord and a bright splash of bergamot. It feels like stepping into a dew-soaked courtyard in Seville at dawn. As the initial sharpness settles, a clean white floral heart of gardenia and jasmine takes over, tempered by a soft, fuzzy a…

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, Shanghai or Secreto de Gardenia?

Shanghai takes 2 of 3 categories. Shanghai is rated 3.75/5 from 4 votes; Secreto de Gardenia is rated 3.86/5 from 22 votes. Choose Shanghai for a amber and vanilla character. Wins on longevity and sillage & projection. Best in fall, daytime wear. Choose Secreto de Gardenia for a white floral and floral character. Wins on fragranxe ranking. Best in spring, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Shanghai or Secreto de Gardenia?

Shanghai lasts longest (Shanghai 67/100, Secreto de Gardenia 48/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Shanghai or Secreto de Gardenia?

Shanghai projects furthest (Shanghai 75/100, Secreto de Gardenia 61/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Shanghai and Secreto de Gardenia smell similar?

Clearly different: a 15% scent match on Fragranxe. They share few main accords. Common notes include Apricot, Freesia, Amber and Musk.

Is Shanghai or Secreto de Gardenia better for summer or winter?

Shanghai suits daytime wear; Secreto de Gardenia suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Shanghai and Secreto de Gardenia?

Shanghai has top notes of Blood Orange, heart notes of Apricot and Freesia, a base of Amber, Tonka Bean and Musk. Secreto de Gardenia has top notes of Bergamot and Green Grass, heart notes of Gardenia, Freesia, Jasmine and Apricot, a base of Cedar, Amber and Musk.