Shanghai
Lenthéric (1916)

I was startled with the winsome effervescence that greeted me upon applying Shanghai to my skin for the first time. Its radiant aldehydes, aperitif tang of bergamot and lemon-drop citronella, are dusted with an immediate clove and cinnamon warmth. A swift yet satisfying softening had me intrigued—the sharp and bracing opening transforms incantation-like into a heady velvet effulgence of florals. The cresols of ylang ylang and indoles of jasmine are remarkably annunciated, contrasted with rose and geranium, and at one point, this assortment has the texture of an egg flip: frothy, sweet, and decadent.

It's the revelation that this is the junction between chypre and amber that makes Shanghai a standout. A stew of resins: opoponax, benzoin, styrax, chunky and hearty and somewhat medicinal, cohabitate with the damp forest oakmoss and the luminous glow of musk and ambergris. Sensuous and woolly, yet salty and a little dirty, the last stage tickles my nose and clings to my clothing. The bottle I have, dating from the late 50s-early 60s, is stellar, not the slightest turn, and the fragrance itself would be discontinued just a few years after the production of this bottle.

Lentheric's 1916 Shanghai smells to me exactly like Raphael's 1944 classic, Replique. Imitation is a form of flattery, after all.

I have lived with many bottles of Raphael's pure parfum, so I know this scent intimately. It has a rich plummy floral depth (rose, ylang, tuberose, jasmine) and a warm, seductive, animalic base (amber, musk, vanilla, civet). I love it and am delighted to find its ancestor in Shanghai.

I will repeat below the notes in Replique, as the closest I can come to giving a note tree for Shanghai:

Top: Bergamot, Neroli, Orange, Coriander, Clary Sage
Heart: Carnation, Rose, Orris, Ylang, Jasmine, Tuberose
Base: Patchouli, Amber, Moss, Leather, Musk, Vanilla, Civet.

Hard to find but worth seeking out, along with Replique.

I think my bottle is quite old (pre-1934 relaunch?) though that is a guess based on the design of the box and bottle. I hope a better nose than I will review it!

After the opening aldehydes fade, I think I get rose, bergamot or neroli (which on me dominates a little too heavily at times), and later spices (cinnamon and/or clove). I believe the base is musk, but that's a hard note for me to detect.

I'm not sure I love it, but I do wear it in the right mood -- it's distinctive, quite different from anything else I own.