Arriving in Lisbon, Cardoso became a disciple of Emile Doux. He was French and had arrived in Portugal at the end of the Portuguese Civil War in 1835 with a French theatre company and stayed after the company returned to France, taking charge of a new Portuguese theatre company. She debuted at the Teatro D. Fernando in 1850, in the comic opera "A Batalha de Montereau" (The Battle of Montereau). She then moved to the "Teatro do Ginásio", where she spent more than twenty years, performing dramas, comedies and farces. Over time she overcame the disadvantage she suffered at the beginning of her career. While actresses were generally expected to be beautiful, Cardoso was not. However, the power of her performances eventually won over the audiences. One of her best-known performances was "Fidalguinho" (which on 22 December 1870 was her benefit show at the "Ginásio"). She went on to perform this play at the Crystal Palace theatre in Porto and at "Teatro São Pedro" in Rio de Janeiro. While mainly working at the "Ginásio" she also performed at the "Teatro da Rua dos Condes" in Lisbon at the end of 1854 and in early 1855.