On July 1, 2019, Allure's Sable Yong reviewed a new vanilla from Mona Kattan and called it "a heady concoction of vanilla orchid, tonka absolute, amber woods, musk, and brown sugar." Kattan had launched Kayali with her sister Huda as four scents meant to be layered, and Vanilla 28 was one of them. Oprah Daily later reported that the first of Kattan's vanilla fragrances launched at the end of 2018, and that Vanilla 28 became the bestselling scent in her collection.

The brand's own description is the best map for anyone hunting a Kayali Vanilla 28 dupe. It opens with Madagascan vanilla orchid and creamy jasmine, puts tonka at the heart, and settles on brown sugar, amber woods, musk and patchouli. The brand lists Gabriela Chelariu as the nose. What Allure noticed is the point: the woods and musk give the vanilla "edges and weight," so it does not read as plain bakery.

This edit is made of alternatives from other labels, built on the same idea: a warm vanilla with something dry or woody underneath. In the first set I would start with Phlur's Vanilla Skin, which pairs vanilla with sugar crystals and cashmere wood, and The 7 Virtues Vanilla Woods, a Madagascan vanilla in smoky amber. Henry Rose's Dave leans on chantilly vanilla and tonka bean, and Fugazzi's Vanilla Haze goes creme brulee with tonka and sweet musk. Summer Fridays' Sunlit Vanilla is the brighter one, with caramel and bergamot, and Skylar's Vanilla Sky adds cappuccino and caramelized cedar.

October is the right month for all of them. Wear one under a camel coat and a chunky scarf, and read the base notes before anything else, because that is what you will smell by lunchtime.

Brown sugar is the note that tips a vanilla from soft to dessert, and Bustle puts it plainly: caramel and praline "push it toward dessert; woody, spicy, and smoky pairings make it feel deeper." So I would check what sits next to the sugar before anything else.

By Rosie Jane's Dulce is the closest to the idea on paper, with creamy vanilla, brown sugar and warm hinoki wood. Mancera's Xplicit Vanilla adds tonka bean and amber to Mexican vanilla and brown sugar, which makes it the deeper pick for evenings. Nest's Vanilla Bourbon runs vanilla bourbon and brown sugar against night-blooming jasmine, and Le Monde Gourmand's Creme Vanille sits on a base of brown sugar and amber with a creamy apricot on top. I would wear that one with a cream knit and nothing else competing.

Then there are the fashion-house ones. Miu Miu's Miutine brings a brown sugar accord and vanilla with wild strawberry, and Gucci's Flora Gorgeous Gardenia pairs pear and white gardenia over brown sugar. Both are fruitier than the original, so think of them as cousins. Sabrina Carpenter's Cherry Baby pairs brown sugar and vanilla orchid with cherry and dark chocolate, a sweeter and louder cherry take. Juicy Couture's Just Moi Intense is a cocoa and vanilla bourbon blend with vanilla-ambrox.

What I would skip: anything where the fruit is the first thing you smell, if what you want is the quiet warmth of vanilla and sugar. Spray once on skin, wait an hour, and see whether the sugar is still there or only the fruit.

Amber is what stops vanilla from tasting like frosting. Kayali's own base lists amber woods, musk and patchouli under the brown sugar, so in this set I would look for the same kind of resinous floor under the sweetness.

The 7 Virtues has two worth knowing: Amber Vanilla, which sets amber and pink carnation against vanilla, and Amber Orchid, which puts vanilla orchid over warm amber and creamy sandalwood. If the orchid is what you love about the original, the second is the one. LoveShackFancy's Just a Girl is lighter, with French vanilla, tonka milk and sheer amber, so it suits a day at a desk. Essential Parfums' Ambre Latte is amber, vanilla and sandalwood with a creamy latte note, and Boy Smells' Vanilla Era pairs vanilla absolute with black amber and white tulip.

Marc Jacobs Beauty's Perfect Elixir has a golden amber-woods accord with vanilla bean extract, and Dolce&Gabbana's The One gives you an amber and vanilla dry-down with jasmine and peach on top. Burberry's Goddess Amber Vanilla Intense is vanilla extracts over an ambery accord with maple syrup, the richest of the lot.

The test is time. Spray a wrist, then check at the ten-minute mark and again at the three-hour mark. A good amber vanilla should get creamier, not collapse into only wood.

What I would skip: a very sweet amber with a sticky maple note if you are wearing it to a small office. Keep those for evenings and coats.

A mist is the easy way into this scent family, because Bustle notes that perfume oils sit closer to the skin and lighter formulas wear softer, and a mist is the most relaxed of all. It is also the format Kayali's own tips point to: the brand suggests spraying a hair towel or a hairbrush "for a delicate diffusion."

Phlur's Vanilla Skin mist keeps the sugar crystals, cashmere wood and vanilla of the eau de parfum, so it is the easy match with the first set. Summer Fridays' Vanilla Hair + Body Mist is a vanilla cake with tonka bean and radiant amber, which is the nearest to the tonka and amber structure. Ellis Brooklyn's Miss Amber is brown sugar, amber woods and Madagascar vanilla, and Kopari's Brown Sugar Cream mist has a caramel and vanilla base with date syrup and tonka bean.

For something sweeter, LoveShackFancy's Vanilla Twirl mixes vanilla mousse with salted caramel and musk. Emi Jay's Aura in Toasted Sugar is spun sugar and amber with a bow-shaped cap, a cute one for a bag. Sol de Janeiro's Cheirosa 62 is salted caramel, pistachio and vanilla, and OUAI's Ibiza is cocoa, vanilla and rum with tonka bean.

Moisturize first, as the brand advises, since a mist fades faster on dry skin. Spray the hair ends, a scarf and the inside of a coat collar for more trail.

What I would skip: stacking two sugary mists. One dry, woody note next to the sweet is what keeps it grown up.

Rollerballs are the closest thing to wearing a vanilla close to the skin, which is where this note does its best work. Bustle says perfume oils "tend to sit closer to the skin," and that is exactly what you want from a small bottle in a coat pocket.

Nest's Madagascar Vanilla oil is vanilla bean and vanilla orchid with coconut, so it picks up the orchid thread of the original. Cyklar has two: Vanilla Verve with musk and ambrette, and Amber Hour with amber resin, palo santo and tonka bean. I would keep both and layer them, which is the habit Kayali itself is built around. Skylar's Nude Skin rollerball runs tiger orchid, warm vanilla and golden amber, and Lake & Skye's 11 11 is vanilla creme and marshmallow over sheer amber.

Nemat's two oils are the plainer ones. Amber is a straightforward amber oil, and Vanilla Musk is classic vanilla, baked goods and warm musk. Rare Beauty's Rare Moments duo has a caramel, vanilla and sandalwood rollerball paired with a pear floral, which is neat for travel.

Roll on pulse points: wrists, behind the knees, the nape of the neck. Check that the roller glides evenly, the cap clicks shut, and the oil does not leak into your bag.

What I would skip: an oil with only one flat note if you want the layered feel. Look for the ones that name a second material, like musk, sandalwood or amber.

I would start with the base notes. Brown sugar, amber, tonka or musk underneath the vanilla gets you closest to the shape of the original, and anything without that floor is a different scent, even if the name says vanilla.

Then I would pick the format. An eau de parfum for evenings, a mist for hair and scarves, a rollerball for the bag. Spray on skin, moisturize first, and give it an hour before deciding.

Mona Kattan said it herself: she owns being vanilla, because to her that means focused. I would take that to the counter, and let the dry-down decide. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere by philosophy.