Penhaligon's Cairo

Penhaligon's Cairo is sold out right now; the last price was ৳431 for 1.5 ml. Join the restock list on this page. We do not sell full bottles; a decant lets you wear it for weeks before buying one.

Both are rose-and-resin and they differ on what sits underneath. Aoud Night leads with agarwood from the first minute and finishes on leather, guaiac wood and amber, so the oud is the subject. Cairo has no oud at all: damask rose and saffron open it, then vanilla, cypriol and labdanum, closing on sandalwood, patchouli and cedar. The smokiness people read as oud here is the cypriol; Aoud Night is the heavier one; Cairo is drier and more composed.

The saffron sharpens and the rose deepens. Saffron turns more metallic and medicinal on warm skin, which makes the first half hour more assertive here than in cool air, and the damask rose goes from dry and wine-like toward something jammier as the day warms. Cypriol underneath holds its smoky character in humidity without gaining weight. The vanilla is the one note that spreads, and an evening fragrance, worn lightly.