We list it as a match for one original, Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady. Owners score it 8 for accuracy and 8 for longevity, from $20. It is The Scent File Pick among the 2 we list for Portrait of a Lady.
Two separate scores, never averaged: how close it smells, and how long it lasts.
Against Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady, Maison Alhambra The Artist No. 1 scores accuracy 8 — a close match. For most buyers it captures the scent at a fraction of the price; what you give up is mainly the bottle, the brand, and the last-phase nuance a budget formula tends to simplify.
Every pairing shows where it comes from and how far we trust it.
Three reviewers who know Portrait of a Lady compare the two, two of them side by side with a sample or decant: almost identical out of the box for one, about eighty-five percent for another, with the original keeping more depth in the incense. Wear time is long, eight to ten hours and more.
“I wore this side by side with my PoaL decant today. I would say they are ~85% similar.”
Wear The Artist No. 1 or Portrait of a Lady? Tell us how they compare. Reports like yours are what move a match up a level.
The other match we list for Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady, in our ranking.
Ten reviewers who know Portrait of a Lady are split: five find it very close after a spicier opening, three say similar with more clove and less incense, and two say it is not a good clone. It lasts eight to twelve hours.
The 30 best-tested dupes under $40, as a PDF. You join our email list too: rare emails, no spam.
