Is Aromara Desert Spice a dupe of Penhaligon's Cairo?
Cairo EDP
| EDP | Concentration | Extrait |
| U | Gender | U |
| 2019 | Year | - |
| ££ | Price Tier | £ |
Desert Spice Extrait
Where they differ
Biggest gaps first. The bolder side leads.
ScentArt
How it unfolds
Notes
- Cairo
- Desert Spice
- in both
Tap a note to light it in both. A+B means both have it
Which Should You Buy?
A regal, spicy-woody rose that exudes opulence and mystery. Cairo envelops you in a golden glow of saffron, woods, and vanilla, striking a perfect balance between East and West.
Desert Spice is Aromara's take on Penhaligon's Cairo, a rich saffron-rose-oud composition from the brand's Trade Routes collection. Aromara keeps the saffron and rose signature intact but simplifies Cairo's more intricate spice-incense interplay into a broader, warmer amber-oud base, losing some of the original's precision but keeping the exotic character that made Cairo distinctive.
Scent Profile
How They Wear
Mood
Notes
Top Notes
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
Note weights are our estimate from each note's place in the pyramid, not the share of the formula. Brands do not publish formulations.
Performance
Season and Occasion Fit
Seasons
Cairo's dominant spicy woods, resins, and rose make it ideal for fall and winter when its warmth and richness provide comfort, but it can also bloom beautifully in spring. The intensity and depth are generally too much for hot summer days.
Occasions
This opulent, spicy-floral scent is best for formal or special occasions and romantic evenings, but can be worn casually by those who enjoy bolder fragrances. Its projection and richness make it less suited to the office or sporty situations.
Seasons
Community season votes for Penhaligon's Cairo, the fragrance this is built to match, favour spring, autumn and winter.
Occasions
Wearers put Penhaligon's Cairo, the fragrance this is built to match, at its best for date nights and formal occasions.
Similarity Breakdown
Our estimate of how alike these two fragrances smell, calculated from their published notes. It is a position on our scale, not a measured percentage of shared smell.
Shares 3 of its 8 notes, including Rose, Saffron, Sandalwood
Adds cedar and cypriol oil or nagarmotha, drops amber and bergamot
Where to buy
Pick a size. The two cheapest offers, then the rest.
Cairo EDP
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Import charges may apply
These shops are outside the United States. How import charges work
Import charges may apply
These shops are outside the United States. How import charges work
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