Shanghai Butterfly

This scent is hard for me to describe because it has so many layers, and I smell something smoky, even though it is not listed in the notes- maybe it could be the musk mixed with woodsy, powdery and spicy notes? My Signature scent is D&G Light Blue and I Love Love since they smell exactly the same to me, I smell these same notes in the middle notes of Shanghai Butterfly, but this fragrance has a more mysterious quality to me. To me it is a perfect multi-layered blend of scents. At first spray it is strong but in a few minutes it calms down into an intoxicating seductive scent with an alluring smoky pipe tobacco undertone-but pleasant, not overpowering-reminiscent of a classy, sophisticated old-world gentleman's club wrapped in cedar hardwoods from centuries past. I actually quite like this since it is so unique to anything I have ever smelt before. No mistaking, it is not anything like the "gentleman's" clubs of today, but rather beautifully antique, but NOT old by any means, it is definitely not your Grandmother's perfume, but instead rather young, but not at all Juvenile. When wearing it I almost feel as though I could be the lady in the Grace Kelly's L'Instant Taittinger poster wearing a sleek curve-hugging sexy but classy black dress with a glass of Champagne in one gloved hand and in the other a long bakelite cigarette holder- vintage, sophisticated, beautiful, but young. Wonderful, almost fantasy-like :) As time passes I still smell the smoky woody undertone, but it is lighter. A different feeling of time and place, but oddly one in the same- if that is possible. At this point I start to smell the clean citrusy notes which remind me of a beautiful sunny day with a light breeze filled with butterflies, carrying with it scents of fresh citrus fruits and clean summer air. It seems that most people open with the citrusy notes, but I don't smell these until later on. I would highly recommend this fragrance to anyone who looks for that "dream-like" quality in a fragrance.

I agree this heads down the light blue lane. If you like light blue and want something similar yet different (this is much more floral and less synthetic musky), you should probably be checking this out. This is a great anytime perfume. Has a very bright citrus opening of lemon, orange, and the green apple is tart with the skin still on. In the dry down I get mostly cedar, carnation, and rose. The carnation and rose kind of wind in and out from each other giving me sniffs of dry/spicy floral and sweet floral. I also do get a hint of LOTV. Side note when I first smelt this blind I swore there was green tea in here. I do prefer this over light blue, I actually don't understand the appeal of light blue when there are so many similar scents that smell less synthetic.

Shanghai Butterfly is the most truly feminine citrus perfume ever ! Unlike most other citrus scents, the top notes do NOT fade away. Pretty sour lemon tempered by apple, mixes with soft florals for a sweet beautiful perfume. No sweet sugared lemonade here, just gorgeous true lemon that remains throughout the dry down. A touch of sweet mandarin floats behind the lemon. Cedar is very light, not scratchy, softened by gentle white woods and soft sandalwood. The flowers are so well blended that it's hard to detect them individually. This perfume is smooth, with moderate but soft projection and lasts over 8 hours on my skin. Great for office, as it is non offensive. Absolutely gorgeous !

Just a short report: I had to get rid of Shanghai Butterfly due to mechanical error. I could hear a lot of liquid still inside (approx half full)but the sprayer for the life of me would not work. I'm not sure how common this is, and I did have a second hand bottle I found at a Salvation Army. Hope this doesn't happen to anyone else. I had Shanghai Butterfly 2-3 years before this happened. It seemed very random.

I regret not buying this one because now I can't find it anywhere. It's light but complex. Sweet citrus and pineapple on a sandalwood and musk base. In a way it reminds me of Light Blue, but it's somehow richer and has more depth. It's great for casual days.