What Is DUA Illuminate a Dupe Of?

The original behind DUA Illuminate is Xerjoff Starlight. It is DUA’s clone of that scent, with cardamom, almond, cinnamon and amber as the useful starting point for a comparison. Here is what connects the two and what we would pay attention to when choosing between them.

What connects the two

Cardamom and bergamot lead into an almond-and-spice idea, with cinnamon, cloves, amber and cedar in both profiles. This is worth exploring if you want warm spice with something softer underneath. We would compare those parts together instead of judging it only on the first burst of cardamom.

How do their notes compare?

DUA gives this scent a single note list. Its listed notes include Almond, Cloves, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Cedar, Amber and Bergamot. That gives you a few specific notes to look for in a sample.

Xerjoff Starlight lists Cardamom, Bergamot, Cinnamon, Almond, Cloves, Amber and Cedar among its notes. You can see the complete profiles above, with each scent’s own labels and structure. A note list describes the idea; it does not tell you the proportions or guarantee that two fragrances develop the same way.

What would we compare on skin?

Check the cardamom beside almond and cinnamon, then compare the amber and cedar. We would pay attention to how much sweetness you notice after the brighter opening has settled.

Which one should you choose?

For a purchase, think about what you want from this pairing: DUA’s take on cardamom, almond, cinnamon and amber, or the original fragrance itself. Then compare the actual bottle sizes and current retailer terms. We’d give a sample time to develop before committing to a larger bottle, especially if the balance between the fresher and sweeter notes is what matters to you.