Oriental Pearl Shanghai Tang for women

Not sure why but I get some kind of lactonic scent in the dry down. I like it but I can see how it’s not a mass appeal fragrance

If you love patchouli, this scent is for you.
Not that of Montale, not that of Reminiscence and not that of Serge Lutens (Borneo 1834) and Ecuadors, nor that of Nereides nor Profumum Roma (Thundra) but a work elegantly done with amber and incense.
Without having a persistent wake, its hold is very good for a few hours,in the neon lights when night falls on the metropolis.

It has an oriental amber orchid smell, essentially synthetic. It is quite young, fairly sweet and I get an orchid type smell even though orchid isn't listed as a note. There is a little vanilla. Do not blind buy. From other reviews it is clear that it smells different on everyone. Not worth a purchase for me. Would work well on some people.

English Country Garden always writes great reviews. I do agree with some of what she says. Oriental Pearl is not as polished as the great Coromandel but if you want a dupe that doesnt cost an arm and a leg like the Chanel beauty then it fits the bill. No other scent has ever got this close before.
We all know fragrance is very subjective. Don't take our word for it. Get your nose on Oriental Pearl and make your own mind up.

Tested this because I am a serious Coromandel fan. This is nothing like Coromandel. No vanilla detectable (not vanilla as I know it anyway). Patchouli is so densed out by the labdanum in the mix as to become invisible. Way too much amber and not sure why Labdanum is here either to be fair. Citruses, absent. fine woods, florals and orris - notably absent. Coromandel pulls off the impossible task of merging patchouli and vanilla and producing milkybar/the authentic scent of highly polished coromandel furniture. Oriental pearl may sport a chinese monniker and logo, but it is more Mr Sheen. Not working at all on this nose. I brought my son in on the game, as he is sometimes better at picking out notes and similarities. He smelled it. He compared. cogitated. He sniffed again. He pronounced judgement. Not so much Coromandel as Coronation Street. There you have it. Someone said it's not for the faint hearted, I would concur. It's pulling off this inelegant hat trick of being cloying and bitter (chemically bitter) at the same time. It doesn't go away either. 12 hours after spraying and scrubbing, the bugger is still there sraping the inside of my nostrils off. The bottle's nice, but I wouldn't open it. Also, it weighs a ton and I might have to get someone else to lift it. Guess I have lived with the exquisitely crafted Coromandel too long and too intimately and we know each other so well that there's no substitute for such a love.

Wow! What a wonderful spicy patchouli dream. I can totally understand why Ouch! on Youtube said it was a dupe of Coromandel. Ok, no white choc but gosh I would love it as a back up.
If you love patch then well worth trying. I don't think Fragrantica has listed all the notes. I get some Amber warmth and yes lots of Benzoin.
Good longevity and sillage.

Hate to be a downer, but I don't like this at all. The bottle is nice, but it's like 3 pounds, is it supposed to be like a paperweight? Does a perfume bottle really have to be this heavy? As for the juice...I swear it has vanilla in it, but I don't see it listed in the notes. I get mostly a heavy vanilla extract type smell, like what you would use for cooking. I found this sweet and cloying and linear with no evolution in the dry down, and not at all interesting. For the price point I was at least expecting something somewhat sophisticated or elegant. Could be unisex if that means anything and for better or worse it stays with you for hours. End of the day I give this a thumbs down.

I'm sitting with Oriental Pearl for a few hours now. I feels like a really well crafted perfume. And the bottle is gorgeous.
AND:
Initial spray reminds me of Strawberry (red) Twizzlers. That calms down and then I can smell the patchouli and the amber in a tug-o-war.. The whole time the T-o-W is being mediated by the Labdanum like a collie herding sheep. This perfume is all over the place on me.
I'm not lying when I said it feels well made. I would say this perfume is not for everyone. I like a challenge and will continue to wear this and see if I understand it's story better.
I'm not getting a lot of projection; the scent feels like it's close to my skin.
Maybe the perfect scent for a "bohemian" holiday party!!!

Follow up:
I just can't wrap my head (or nose) around his fragrance. I returned it...

This appears to be one of those perfumes that evokes strong reactions: you either love it or hate it. The patchouli seems to wallop all the other notes and has a dry down that reminds me of moth balls or some weird stuff in the bottom of my Dad's WWII dopp kit.

It's an interesting scent journey, but I am not a fan.

I received this today...blind buy.
Wow....I love it !! At first sniff, you may feel it has a little "medicinal" vibe to it. I smell it, yes. It has the same type of medicinal vibe as Yves Rocher Vanille Noir....(which is in my Top scents list). As Oriental Pearl developes, I am getting a whiff of vanilla, although,that note is not listed, must be a combo within the other notes...???....
I find this scent very different...and I really love it.
As for the other reviews, I do not find this STRONG, per se, but maybe thats the labdanum/patchouli acting out.
I WISH....this was available in a larger SPRAY bottle,all I see on line are the .31 oz minis. DARN !!
I will probably buy at least one more of this mini, just in case !!! My next buy ...will be the Gold Lily one.
I rate this 8/10.
sillage: imo, medium
longevity: still deciding.

Deliriously full, beautiful, incense rich, and patchouli dense. Do not expect to enjoy Oriental Pearl unless you are fond of strong, labdanum centered bombs with overtones of patchouli.

I sampled this beauty from a dab on bottle, and one miniature dab lasted for many hours with a powerful presence. I can only imagine what a spray might have done!

Really NOT for the faint of heart, but it is the most unique and bold fragrance of the collection. Well Done, Shanghai Tang.

For reference, I also adore Calligraphy Rose and Fancy Nights, orientals with something significant in common with Oriental Pearl. They contain more of a floral note, whereas this gem has it's own special flair and is essentially somewhat DRY and spicier than either. It may be the nicest surprise an oriental lover will have all year!

Five Stars :D

This is the only one of this collection that I'm not at all fond of. Smells like a bathroom. May eventually try wearing it to fullest but I really dont like initial whiff :(

Would love to smell this one! The bottles are amazing. Hope this collection reaches Australia.