Fragranova
Fragrances Similar to PENHALIGON'S CAIRO
Same accord family · 12 picks ranked by shared notes
Quick Answer
The strongest note-overlap match is Perris Monte Carlo Patchouli Nosy Be, sharing 5 core notes. Note overlap is not the same as identical smell, but if you love Cairo's structure, these are its closest neighbors in our catalog.
Shared notes ≠ identical smell. We rank by overlap in accords and notes, but two fragrances can share most ingredients and still smell distinct (concentration, ratios, and the perfumer's hand all matter). Picks with a Verified Clone badge are mapped by our community as true smell-alikes; the rest sit in the same olfactory family.
If you love Penhaligon's Cairo, these 12 fragrances share the most of its note structure. None of the picks below are designated clones. They share notes and accord structure with Cairo, but two fragrances can share notes and still smell distinct. Treat this as "same family", not "same smell".
Same Olfactory Family
Shared notesThese share Cairo's accord family and note structure. None are community-verified clones, so think of them as "in the same neighborhood" rather than "identical smell".
- #1
Perris Monte Carlo · 2014PATCHOULI NOSY BE
join_inner 13 shared accordsstar 4.1 / 5 (3159)Shared accords: woody, powdery, earthy, balsamicShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum - #2
Mauboussin · 2000MAUBOUSSIN
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (9487)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, patchouliShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood - #3
Natura · 2017KRISKA DRAMA
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 3.8 / 5 (4386)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, patchouliShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood - #4
Nishane · 2021FAVONIUS
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.3 / 5 (2902)Shared accords: woody, earthy, balsamic, patchouliShared notes: Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha - #5
Elie Saab · 2019LE PARFUM ROYAL
join_inner 12 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (7112)Shared accords: woody, powdery, earthy, balsamicShared notes: Vanilla, Patchouli, Sandalwood - #6
Majda Bekkali · 2012MON NOM EST ROUGE
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (8446)Shared accords: woody, balsamic, rose, vanillaShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum - #7
Chopard · 2020LOVE CHOPARD
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 3.9 / 5 (7119)Shared accords: woody, powdery, patchouli, roseShared notes: Damask Rose, Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood - #8
Natura · 2017ESSENCIAL OUD
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.0 / 5 (5395)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, roseShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha - #9
The Spirit of Dubai · 2019TURATH
join_inner 13 shared notesstar 4.4 / 5 (5032)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, amberShared notes: Damask Rose, Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood - #10
Roja Dove · 2015PARFUM DE LA NUIT NO 3
join_inner 11 shared notesstar 4.6 / 5 (3684)Shared accords: woody, balsamic, rose, amberShared notes: Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Cypriol Oil or Nagarmotha, Saffron - #11
Xerjoff · 2010RICHWOOD
join_inner 12 shared accordsstar 4.4 / 5 (9519)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, patchouliShared notes: Damask Rose, Vanilla, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum - #12
Fragrance World · 2024VALOUR NIGHT IRIS
join_inner 11 shared accordsstar 4.2 / 5 (151)Shared accords: woody, powdery, balsamic, vanillaShared notes: Vanilla, Cedar, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Labdanum
How we rank, and why this isn't a dupe list
We rank by a weighted overlap of dominant accords (50% of the score), shared notes across all pyramid positions (30%), and shared base notes specifically (20%). Base notes carry weight because they drive what you smell hours into the wear.
But shared ingredients don't guarantee identical smell. Two fragrances can list the same notes and still smell completely different. The perfumer's ratios, the materials they sourced, and the supporting molecules all change the result. That's why we split this page into two sections.
Verified Clones are fragrances our community has explicitly mapped to Cairo in our Clone Lab. These are the only picks on this page we'd call true smell-alikes. The Same Family picks share its note structure but should be treated as "if you like Cairo, you may like..." rather than direct dupes.
Looking for verified dupes specifically? Visit the Clone Lab for community-mapped alternatives across the catalog.