Penhaligon's Cairo | Fragrance Review

Today I'm going to talk about a fragrance called Cairo by Penhaligon’s. I picked this particular fragrance from a profiling session I had with a Penhaligon's perfumer and I'm utterly enamoured with it. 

Firstly let me introduce you to the world of Penhaligon’s. Founded by William Penhaligon who was a Cornish man who came up to London in the 19th century and founded a Barbers. The myth is that William Penhaligon was inspired by the Turkish baths that were prevalent at the time and created fragrances that would co in accord with these baths.

Penhaligon's Cairo 

Cairo was released in 2018 and at the time was exclusive release to Harrods until it got it was released globally in 2019. It is a part of the Trade Routes collection which has a wonderful romanticism about it doesn't it? 

The perfumer is Christopher Raynaud and the fragrance is engineered for a unisex audience. 

The Notes 

Top notes: Rose 

Heart Notes: Saffron and incense 

Base: Patchouli and Vanilla  

These are just some of the basic notes that you'll find on Penhaligon's website. You can expect to pay £178 for 100ml bottle. 

It's a very woody, spicy experience. The Rose brings a peculiar sweet opening. It's a Damascena rose and labdanum bloom so you'll get a very earthy aromatic sense and it will transport you through time. 

The Saffron and incense push through quite wildly. The saffron in particular, but then it soon settles and this ambrosial quality seeps in from the incense. The Vanilla comes over the top in a final flourishes and harmonises the woodiness. 

Does this have OUD? 

I can tell you I'm on the fence with this one. Personally I think it has a dusting of Oud because it's a scent that has a lot of depth. Although that could be papyrus which I detected. Overall its a beautiful fragrance. Sweet but in no way sickly. Vanilla but in no way boring. 

I think it's a very distilled, very simple elegant fragrance that balances the earthy woody-exoticism you'd associate from a North African landscape, with a serene elegant coating of vanilla and patchouli. 

Many thanks to the good people at Penhaligon’s for inviting me down and introducing me to this fragrance.