Sahara Nights Alexandria Fragrances 2018

I was curious about the claimed fragrance twin, so I ordered a sample of it, and I must say: Anyone hoping to snag Frederic Malle's "The Night" at a significantly lower price will be clearly disappointed. The only thing that is identical here are the supposed ingredients.
However, one does not receive a bad fragrance by any means, just a different one.
Sahara Nights (SN) starts with a distinctly fruitier opening, whereas Malle's version immediately highlights the saffron and oud in a slightly fecal manner. I detect apple and plum here, paired with cinnamon. After about 10 minutes, the rose also emerges. Sandalwood is noticeable as well, and I think amber rounds it all off. But the fragrance is never heavy and not so powerful. Rather, it is cozy and snuggly. The incense takes a back seat in this case.
For me, they are two completely different fragrances - thankfully. Something must justify the high price of Malle's masterpiece. It is probably the high-quality oud that I completely miss in Sahara Nights. Nevertheless, I want to emphasize again: It is not a bad perfume for that reason. Just different.