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Island Vanilla Dunes starts from the Althaïr blueprint, then softens it. Cardamom, cinnamon and bergamot frame a thick vanilla accord, but Khadlaj feels sweeter almost immediately. The spice is gentler and the vanilla has more of a whipped, creamy quality than the drier Bourbon vanilla texture of Althaïr.

The heart is where it becomes more interesting than a straightforward copy. Orange blossom keeps the sweetness from collapsing into syrup, while guaiac wood and a boozy Bourbon whiskey accord give the vanilla some warmth and grain. Althaïr is woodier, cleaner around the edges and more carefully layered. Island Vanilla Dunes feels rounder and more gourmand.

The resemblance becomes strongest in the drydown, when vanilla, warm spice, praline and musk settle into that familiar Althaïr silhouette. Community comparisons are consistently positive, although Liquid Brun is usually considered the more literal clone. Island Vanilla Dunes trades a little accuracy for a creamier personality, and that choice works surprisingly well.