Description
Forbidden fruit from the house of Dior, Poison is the revolutionary fragrance that became a legend since it has been launched in 1985. An unrivalled alchemy; spicy, fruity, woody fragrance of enigmatic profoundness that mesmerizes the senses…forever. Top notes include coriander, wildberries, orange honey, tuberose are at perfume’s heart, while base note features opopanar.
This dark, mysterious and elegant perfume, which won a FiFi award in 1987, was created by Edouard Flechier.
In 2006, the house of Dior released the Poison Amulets. These are limited edition 15 ml purse sprays available in Poison, Pure Poison, Tendre Poison and Hypnotic Poison; each comes with 2 refills and is packaged in a satin pouch with funnel. The bottles are very elegant while following the style and colors of the originals.
rehealthpassli – :
Sultry, dangerous, poisonous, sensual..it all falls short to describe Poison, the monstre that came from the house of Christian Dior in 1985, causing commotion and disbelief among innocent passerby’s. An innocent apple shaped bottle holding a dangerous elixir. How could this be? But, there it was, unaware to everyone; the hit of the decade, what everyone would try and imitate.
Poison edt, review based on bottles from 1985 to 1992.
Poison, above all the extremes, the sensuality, the bite, was about fun. Yes, it was deep and narcotic, carnal, mysterious…but it never took itself too seriously. At least the edt. Powerful like a bulldozer it could be smelt from around the block. 1980’s carpets still have traces of it, and elevators permeated with Poison still have a purple hue in their mirrors, a smoke tendril of the fun that was ahead. You can still hear the laughter of the lucky wearers. And the lament of those who hated it.
Stewed plums, red and blue and black berries, hint of coriander, lots of honey and you get a hell of an opening. Just like a fruity cocktail; too sweet to know it gets to your head. The flowers on the other hand, oh, the flowers are all past their prime, dripping in carnality. Tuberose, jasmine, orange blossom, damascones galore with their wine-y tonality between rose and violets. Concentrated to the extreme, the best absolutes to accompany this crazy party, that had the warm company of cinnamon, opoponax, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, plus a castoreum bodyguard to keep things on the wild side named Hulk. Poison was a night out made perfume. So addicting that it lingered on skin until the next day, when you sprayed some more just so you could take the day ahead.
Poison was worn by everyone and everywhere, and it’s the main reason it was banned from restaurants and repulsed by many. On top, it was worn with abandon! Too much of a good thing ain’t so good it seems. Unfortunately, I missed those days by some years, and even though my bottles smell perfect, the settings around me are not quite the same. One has to cope with what one has!
For better or for worse, Poison, this little masterpiece from 1985 hasn’t fared well. The internet is still full of bottles mass produced for eternity, and you’re better of buying one of those than what is currently being sold under the name; if you want to experience true Poison, you need the real deal, not the impostor.
After all, who doesn’t look good in purple hued elevator mirrors? And if you close your eyes, you can still smell it!
avar – :
I remember getting this when I was younger and I felt so grown up! I loved it then because I thought it smelled like grape candy. It was so thick and syrupy and lucious. I recently bought a new bottle and it’s still lovely but I sure miss that syrupy vibe that the old forumula has. Very happy to revisit it. A definite love.
yatiraksa – :
Such an interesting scent. Though I wouldn’t want the smell of licorice fruit (what I am getting) on my skin/clothes.
dozilkree – :
In my last review i mentioned that i worked with someone who wore this daily; on her it just suited her to a T, it was the most delicious plummy fruity tuberose ive ever smelled.
Now i tested the new version today and either she was wearing the old version and was gifted the new one by her husband once she ran out, or it was in fact, the newest one but it just doesn’t sit on my skin the same way.
What i got was virtually no tuberose at all which was dissapointing as I’m one of the few that really loves tuberose, and a slight grape note with a tone of resinous oppoponax and incense. Its quite light and not at all as thick and sweet as i remember.
For about half an hour it actually reminded me of Chanel’s Coco, on steroids. But that soon faded and im left with a strange amber and grape smell.
Im so glad i didn’t go by my previous experience with this and blindly purchase a bottle.It seems it just wasn’t for me, but I think if this one does suit your chemistry, then its really quite beautiful.
Update: On the Dior website, all their fragrances only have 3 notes in the descriptions, this one apparently only has Coriander, tuberose and vanilla…
I dont think they should be allowed to lie like that, A fragrance with just those notes would be very different.
26region2010 – :
I have about 1/4 of a vintage bottle from 1988. I just wore it to a rock concert it brings back so many memories. I was pregnant and my mom gifted it to me the day before I had my son. I’ve smelled the reformulated version, it doesn’t come close to the original. It’s also very potent for an EDT, I could still smell it on me the next morning. I’ll be sad when it’s finished.
jttrpmwley – :
I have a vintage 1987 1.7 oz sealed bottle of this. I’m not going to wear it so PM me if you have interest.
partnoy – :
……just tried this at Sephora and my husband hates it (initially)…it’s very strong and incense-y right now and I dont hate it but I don’t want to smell like Nag Champa incense lol I’m going to wait for the ‘amazing’dry down and I’ll update…
pamashzet – :
I’m blown away. Almost literally.
This was one of the only perfumes my mother wore when I was a child (this and the original Lagerfeld Chloe). Over the years, it became a scent I equated to snuggles and the comfort of home. Our blankets all smelled of it, her hairbrush smelled of it, and a big hug in the morning would leave me smelling like poison while I was in school.
I’ve been out of the house now for more than 10 years and I had never once thought to try this for myself. “So..” I thought, “maybe I’ll buy a bottle.. for nostalgia’s sake.” Fast forward a few weeks and I gave $100 hard earned bucks for a 100mL bottle.. a pretty ridiculous sum to give for something I only planned to spray on blankets and give the occasional sniff. I sprayed some on my neck and wrists when I got into the car.
“Yep, still strong,” I thought. “Just like I remember.” Now, I have no idea if this IS what I remember, but it was immediately familiar and comforting to me. That said, it was a BEAST. Strong, in-your-face and even a bit.. sharp? bitter? “This will DEFINITELY be an at-home scent only.”
But good things come to those who wait.
Fast forward a few hours. The top notes gave way to a hazy, sexy cloud. I never thought of this scent as sexy as a child.. but it is. Deep. Sensual. Maybe even a hint dusty. There’s that underlying layer of play-doh/hairspray I’ve come to love in the other Dior Poison flankers (Hypnotic AND Pure). “Jesus, this is good.”
My skin eats fragrance. Either that or I’m only obsessed with VERY heavy scents. Think Mugler’s Angel or Alien. I like things that hang around. This scent easily lasts 8+ hours on me. And guess what? That’s for the current formulation of this scent – one I’ve read doesn’t hit the mark for longtime Poison lovers in the longevity department. To add to my discovery of this scent, I’ve recently ordered an unopened, vintage bottle. We’ll see what all of the buzz is about 😉
Oh, Poison. I get it now. My mom had/has good taste. Now I guess I do, too.
Update –
My vintage bottle came in and oh my.. pure sex appeal. It’s easily 10x better than the current formulation. Everything in this version is done with a layer of.. honey? It’s sweet and oozes something sultry I can’t quite put my finger on.. I think I need to find another vintage bottle.
Hellena-XXX – :
OI have the current bottle of poison. I don’t wear it much because I remember the bomb it used to be….until… I bought MAC My Heroine, mixed a little with a plain body lotion and then sprayed Poison over the top. The result is as close to the original that I can remember. Pretty pleased with myself I must admit.
wka78 – :
I just had to write again about his one. The version being sold in stores today is NOTHING like poison when it was released. The new version lasts about 5 seconds. I have bought a few half used vintage bottles of it and it was totally worth paying the price for vintage. The one that has espirit in the title is the one. THAT is what I was used to and what I was expecting with my purchase at fragrancenet.com. If you want the REAL poison perfume must go to ebay and find vintage.
aloriaglusa – :
Another teenage/early adulthood perfume for me.
I loved the scent, probably due to the incense and Anise scent I picked up from it. BUT it also had this lighter (still strong) scent which I can’t remember what it was that I picked up but going from notes, the plum, honey and florals mixing?… it just was the best scent combo of mysterious and sexy.
I used to get a ton of compliments wearing this so it worked well! Might need to rebuy.
pegas73 – :
This is an enormous fragrance. Nothing is muted, everything has the immense presence and color of the decade that produced it.
I have a 2015 bottle, and I believe that earlier formulations, as others say, were more nuanced. There is something compelling about this version, though—even if it is just the sheer audacity of this fragrance. This is an exploding plum stuffed full of tuberose and spices, with some incense in the background. Disturbingly sweet, like cyanide gas.
It must be smelled, but it may not be loved. I’d love to sniff a vintage.
viktor67777 – :
Initially I was drawn to get this perfume as I was told by the sales associate that Poison has a bubblegum smell when worn so I asked to have a spray on my arm so I can test it out. Unfortunately, on my skin it is just pure musk! Even the sales associate was surprised that no other notes are detected when she sniffed my arm. After an hour it is still very musky but I can smell the plum and tuberose notes moderately. This is a miss for me, whereas Hypnotic Poison was my successful purchase.
rilhad – :
I used to work with a woman that wore this, whenevershe was on shift ide get the most delicious creamy whafts of fruity tuberose, it just worked really well on her.
I finally asked her what she was wearing and she said Poison.
Her husband brought her a new bottle for her birthday and when i saw it on the desk i thought ” I must remember that one”, but i couldn’t forget anyway, its such a lovely fragrance.
Im one of the lucky ones that white florals like tuberose seems to bloom on, rather than turn screetchy or rancid, it seems to come through as a very sweet jasmine on my skin and i always get compliments with those sorts of fragrances, and Im just more drawn to white floral scents.
Pouson is a tuberose lovers dream, only its softened by fruity, woody and creamy notes.
Ide love to get myself a bottle but its such a powerful fragrance that ide probably be limited to where ide wear it as ide want to save it for special occasions.
xatrix – :
Not sure if I’m on the right product page for this fragrance, but this is my review for Dior Poison EDT (batch code: 7Y01).
I blind bought it and I’m glad that I did. It has a classy smell, sort of from the era with Cacharel Anais Anais, but less “overwhelming”, and to my nose, quite modern actually, in the same year range with J’Adore L’Or EDP. I never had a chance to try the original formula, nor any early reformulations, but I can imagine how they would be like, as I assume “the apple does not fall too far from the tree”. I like this one so much already, and the way I look at its current formula, I feel glad that I get introduced to it now, and won’t have to feel sad in the back of my mind knowing that it used to be “better”. It is to me now, still, without a doubt, a gorgeous and sophisticated fragrance. It is feminine, warm, grown up and sensual, suitable for all year round wear, on any occasion that you wanna doll up and feel special. I love the sweet, fruity woody dry down a lot with warm cinnamon and coriander, and not so much incense. Sillage and longevity are great for almost the whole day of my enjoyment.
If you like J’Adore L’Or, Cacharel Anais Anais, Annick Goutal Songes, Givenchy Amarige, Jean Patou Joy, Dior Dolce Vita…or any fragrance that is in the same range and genre, you will enjoy this Poison. BTW, Poison is a totally different fragrance than Hypnotic Poison.
Gunalase – :
Funny thing. I find Poison neither toxic nor dark. It has always been a fruity, sweet and happy scent for me. Plummy and yummy. But since it has a reputation, and since there are quite a few people who find it aggressive (I really don’t see that), I am hesitant to use it in public. If it weren’t for that, I would actually use it even for office.
Poison has always been a love for me. Just too shame I smell it so seldom on orhers. If ever…
I also love the current version, which is the one I own myself.
Brouck – :
Ahhh, deliciously toxic Poison. I don’t think there is a more distinctive, readily identifiable fragrance on earth— not is there one that better represents the studded-leather decadence of the 1980s. Tuberose, coconut, crushed grapes, Malaga wine, black leather and spices from an unearthed Egyptian amulet. Put it all in a cauldron, add Parisian chic, and you have an intoxicating potion like no other.
It’s fully deserving of 5 stars. It’s anazing. Get vintage for full effect.
mischanyru1 – :
The modern version of this is so lovely. It’s quite in your face when you first spray it but it settles in your skin beautifully. I imagine a sultry 1940s/50s woman a la Hedy Lamarr wearing this.
sunsway – :
A few yeaars ago I didn`t get the hype about this. Now I like it. Sexual and decadent at the same time. Neither too sensual, neither too elegant. Nice combo. Maybe in a few years I`ll even buy a bottle.
To me this is 36 years+. Mature and daring.
stas-73 – :
I grew up in the 80s and while very familiar with the original creation, cannot do a side by side comparison of the new and old formulation. I grew tired of hunting down vintages on eBay.
I think the current formula is plenty sweet — and this coming from someone who loves her sweet gourmands — but would have preferred it with a little bit more incense. There’s depth and complexity and overall happy with the reformulation as it doesn’t feel dated.
It has an enormous sillage on me and good longevity.
lorIrobre – :
Probably the most amazing perfume creation I’ve ever smelled in my (almost) 22 years of existence. Masterpiece is an understatement.
рамаша – :
Very few fragrances make me nauseous or ill but poison is one of the few that does that to I don’t know what it is but a note in there makes my stomach turn. I can appreciate it from a distance but I don’t want to be near it when sprayed. I would think I would Kline this one but it is just not for me. Too Smokey ? Or incense? I don’t knowj it’s just too dark for my taste I guess. I do like hypnotic poison and poison girl those aren’t as dark
Pedoalmoniedo – :
This is my all-time favorite. I thought I was buying vintage poison from a reputable eBay seller. I spent $130 to get a 3.4 Oz vintage bottle. I feel to take notice that it was not the perfume. It’s the cologne. I opened it and I sprayed it twice and it is exactly the same smell as the perfume only lighter. I think this must be meant for summer time consumption. but one of the things I love about poison is how strong and potent that vintage poison is. So I really have no use for this. If anyone is interested in a 3.4 Oz vintage poison cologne please send me a message. It comes with the box and it’s completely full except for the two sprays.
Gensa – :
Masterpiece.
IMHO, this perfume is the queen of fragrances, love poison and power in a scent. It is a timeless beuty.
I can see real women wearing this perfume.Only.
egorovkir – :
I tested this next to my vintage poison and the vintage poison smells way more sweeter, richer and smokey. I think they toned down the modern poison alot more. It smells much lighter than the original.
ToxTeessy – :
If you want to smell rich use this wonderful gorgeous expensive smelling perfume
niseOmils – :
damn my skin chemistry!! it ruins every perfume i love.i remember dolce garden by d&g smelling like coroded pipes in the rain after 30 minutes, and now poison smells like burnt plastic. i guess the solution will be the same as with d&g – wear it on clothes. it’s very nice, warm, sweet with a serious spicy ambery undertone. i have to admit it reminds me a bit of red door by elizabeth arden but it’s less blunt with the carnation and more subtle and sofisticated. also the jasmine is barely there unlike red door. i’m glad to see a lot of people sensing the licorice even though i don’t see it mentioned in the notes. i’m guessing it’s the combination of the african orange flower and carnation with spicy notes that’s creating the same vibes?? it’s a very mature scent, seductive, heavy.. this is for a woman in her 30s who knows what she’s achieved and knows where she wants to go next. it’s heavy and strong willed.
msmirocka – :
The deadly detail is use very little…
Magic starts and you become a magnet which has full of lust…
Damn! She is so dangerous.
🙂
promasterbba – :
If I can bring something into my grave, it is the VINTAGE Dior Poison perfume. If I’m allowed into heaven, I would image this scent to be my wings. If I’m living in hell, I thought to carry the VINTAGE Poison every day is well done.
I don’t wear but sniff, sometimes I inhale from the cap which I have it with the fragrence and it’s inspiring enough. “Tendre”, “Hypnotic”, “Pure”, “Midnight” and “Girl”, all these words of its flankers capture a certain aspect of Poison and its whole picture is more than these. Strangely, I got my VINTAGE Poison the day after seeing the movie Perfume. For me what sprayed before the public made people cried out “Angel” loudly from the heart I assume it was something like Poison from the 80s of last century, and in my opinion the original Poison is the next best thing for a perfume human beings could created.
Don’t waste your money on those Tom Ford’s, or your time on never-ending seeking niche fragrances unless you have got one VINTAGE Christian Dior Poison perfume at hand.
Batch: 6475W (1987) Made in France
попугай – :
I LOVE Dior poison ! yes I am a man and I do wear Dior Poison. just apply it lightly, one spray at an arm’s distance away from your body then walk into the perfume mist is enough to last all day. The bottle I got was the new reformulation version (made in 9-2017). Even tho it’s not the same as the original from the 80s, I still think it captured the spirit of “Poison” pretty well. Don’t be scare guys, you can definitely wear Dior Poison, just very lightly!
I’ve received many compliments from both men and women and no one ever point their fingers at me saying “OMG you are wearing a women’s perfume”, instead they all wondered what’s that mystical scent that smells sooo good! Dior Poison is definitely an Unisex fragrance!
lench90 – :
Update – just received my new treasure, and it is divine. I checked the batch code, and it is from August, 2001. I am fairly sure that there were some slight changes to the formula by that time, but nothing that I notice. It is how I remember it. Just spritzed myself a bit too zealously in my excitement – each wrist and my throat – and it is STRONG – but I will go to sleep tonight wearing it, and remembering my “scandalous” past. I have an overwhelming desire to get into a little bit of trouble!!
morhovanton – :
Just purchased this in it’s vintage eau de toilette formulation, back when the box and bottle said Christian Dior, not just Dior – early 90s, I believe. I am counting the moments until it arrives. The new formulation literally makes me recoil in horror.
caaxaa – :
I’ve been waiting to get my hands on a bottle of Poison for ages, just to see what it’s all about and make up my own mind about it. I can see why so many either hate it or love it – like someone said in their review, it’s hard to be indifferent about it. Sadly the first thing to hit my nostrils after spraying it on was my biggest enemy, aldehydes. Not a lot of them but enough to put me off at first. Those, however, shift deep into the background fairly quickly and give way to a wonderfully bittersweet mixture of dark plum, dark berries, honey (lots of honey!) and incense – and yet the whole composition is nowhere near as sweet as those things may sound. It’s all very, very dark and I have an unhealthy obsession with dark scents. So even if it’s not a fragrance I would normally pick in a shop, something about it makes me feel like the old school goth I always wanted to be 🙂 I am not yet sure whether I love or hate Poison but I think it’s growing on me. If I had tested it in a shop I probably would have put it away immediately with disgust on my face because of the aldehydes, but I’m glad I gave it a chance. For now it’s staying on my dresser but I am looking forward to trying all of the many Poison flankers!
IceStranger – :
It was 1985 and Poison had just been launched with enormous fanfare in Paris. It wouldn’t arrive in Australia for some time, and having read Comso (as every teenage Aussie girl did then), I was chafing at the bit to get my grubby mits on it. To put you in the picture, I had just left high school and gone to college, wearing nothing but the innocently girly Anais Anais. I didn’t want to be an innocent girly anymore. I wanted Poison!
My Dad was travelling overseas and asked me what I would like him to bring back as a gift. Poison! He was horrified and probably imagined he’d be hauled away by airport security. He would have been more horrified if he’d realised that his little girl was about to chuck the white florals and get warm and spicy.
Cut to 2018 and I had long ago finished my beloved bottle and stupidly tossed it out in a cleaning frenzy. In the meantime I moved onto other loves of the carnal and fragrant sort, but in a fit of nostalgia, sampled the latest formulation. There were echoes of that skanky miss, but she’s a pale, conservative being now. Maybe it’s mid-life crisis, but I moaned the loss of youth and Poison to my best friend. I knew she’d understand (being even naughtier than I in college). Lo and behold, she delves into a cupboard and pulls out a half full bottle of her own original Poison. AND GAVE IT TO ME!!! This is why we are best friends. Happy sigh….
Just to finish my trip down memory lane, my friend’s daughter informed me with a wicked cackle that she and her brother used to spray Mum’s Poison into their “cauldron” when they played Harry Potter. Says it all really about the original potion – it could turn good girls bad and conjur up spells.
Lelik_zodge – :
It was the nuclear bomb fragrances of the late 70s and 80s, fragrances like Poison, Giorgio Beverly Hills, and Opium, that caused workplaces to ban perfumes because so-and-so was “allergic” to them. Nonsense. Some people just didn’t like those scents, and it didn’t help that some people, like me with Giorgio, drenched themselves in them. At my last two jobs, they banned perfumes and I could only wear Florida Water because I could prove it was completely natural. “Oh, yeah? Are you ‘allergic’ to oranges, lavender, and cinnamon? Get the heck out and take that nasty bathroom potpourri you brought in here with you!” Personally, Poison gave me headaches, but I would NEVER deny anyone the right to wear a fragrance they liked. Now maybe there are people with true fragrance sensitivities, but I think they are very, very rare.
msv709 – :
@ FireFlySF Poison in a green bottle is the discontinued Tendre Poison, an EDT comparible to Cabotine, also released in the early 90es.
loopyNeepeNab – :
My nose says that Poison is a beautiful “gothic” perfume that’s fantastic for nighttime.
This is most definitely a dominantly tuberose perfume. If you don’t like tuberose, then I don’t see how you would like Poison. The tuberose lingers throughout the entire lengthy duration of this fragrance.
While tuberose is the most dominant note, it doesn’t overpower to the point where you cannot smell anything else. When tuberose is mixed in poorly in a fragrance, it smells animalic in a very pungent and rank way, which isn’t the case at all with Dior Poison. This is a tuberose-centric perfume that has dimension and interesting qualities to it. The dark plum adds a touch of juicy sweetness, the incense gives it a bit of smoke, and the cinnamon adds spice. As the perfume transforms on my skin during drydown, the honey, sandalwood, and amber notes come out a bit more, making the fragrance smell a touch more grounded, smooth, and soft.
To break it down, this is a sweet, smoky, woody, spicy, and powdery tuberose perfume. At least that’s how it comes across on my skin. Personally, I think this perfume is VERY sexy. It manages to smell very sexy without crossing the line of being sleazy. This isn’t a demure fragrance, but it isn’t a slutty one either. It’s gothic, sexy, and confident.
This is not anywhere near being a daytime fragrance for me. It is strictly for nighttime only. Because it is so strong and long-lasting, I wouldn’t recommend wearing this during the Summer nights; it’s far too warm and heavy for that. During the Fall, Winter, and early-mid Spring, though? Heck yes!
If you want a nighttime Summer fragrance that gives you a similar feeling to Poison, I would recommend Armani Code for women, as it is a white floral (specifically orange blossom and jasmine-centric) with notes of honey and sandalwood.
SOCRAMENTO – :
My bottle of vintage addressed 30 avenue hoche reached me yesterday. I sprayed it on my left arm and I sprayed the current formulation on my right arm. The current formulation lasted only 3 hours on me; and The vintage version brought tears to my eyes, oh my long lost love… 16hours passed and the scent lingers on me, now that is the real poison I always knew ❤️
Update:
I let my current formulation bottle sat for a couple of months. The strength became headier, lasted longer and the scent is somewhat more prominent. It is so good that I bought another bottle to indulge. In all honesty, vintage or current, this is just as lovely and please let’s hope Dior would leave this one alone. No more reformulation please.
glava111 – :
For the first few hours Poison is a potent blend of plum, incense, peppery tuberose, certainly provocative but never loud. Hot weather is antithetical to Poison, only winter will do. Poison only gets stronger and spicier in the dry down, thick incense, anise, woody and cinnamon notes. Frankly the dry down is almost smothering, and it lasts for hours and hours and hours. I had to wash it off at some point. A very formidable fragrance indeed.
vpy908intitytek – :
I wouldn’t say “WOW how dark and edgy and gorgeous” I just think “Nice enough fruity perfume without smelling sickly or synthetic”. But a bit boring. I even prefer Britney Spears midnight fantasy which also has the heavy plum note. That stands out to me more, and I feel it’s has more of that dark edgeyness & suits us alternative girlies more. Obviously each to their own though :D.
FitteeTuh – :
A sad purchase of a reformulated bottle sent me on a mission to find a vintage I could call my own.
The reports are all true, this is a monster. Beautiful, but a monster nonetheless. A shining, iridescent snake-woman uncoils from the bottle with even the tiniest spray. I had to get up from bed to wash her off my wrists before I could get any rest, and yet the scent lingered and in my sleep I grew scales.
Кристина В. – :
I finally got my hands on a vintage (1987) bottle of Poison, which is one of my Holy Grails. I have somehow managed to avoid all reformulations; I didn’t want to have a point of reference for the original. Even though I remembered the scent from my childhood, I couldn’t *really* remember it. I needed to smell it.
The bottle had leaked a little during shipping, but I didn’t know that yet. I was probably on the verge of tears with excitement, haha – the anticipation! I unsealed the plastic baggie that was the last barrier between me and the juice. I seized the bottle and immediately realized it was wet. The perfume was all over my hands. NOOOOOOO! THIS ISN’T HOW THIS IS SUPPOSED TO GO. I HAVE A RITUAL. I’M NOT READY. EXPLETIVES! There was nothing I could do in that split second, though – ready or not, I was about to get hit with a lethal dose of poison.
Even a small amount of Poison is strong, and my hands were slick with the stuff. The scent went off like a nuclear bomb in my hands. I swear I saw a mushroom cloud. Fallout was imminent. My cat ran off, terrified. I gave up and inhaled. Cue carnival music, because sh*t was about to get weird.
Like a neon sign in my head: I REMEMBER. Since Poison was so prevalent in the 80s, all manner of weird and random memories came forth – it was like a hundred intense deja vus all at once. This scent was everywhere when I was a child. I remembered faces without names, third cousins, every goth ever, my Great Aunt Ginnie, friends of my young parents smoking cloves on our porch, empty rooms, random images, old songs…
After tripping my way through that, I was able to concentrate on the scent itself. Pure love. It is the magical potion I had imagined and hoped for – an addictive combination of incense and baroque witchery, like a bell striking midnight again and again, forever.
What can I say about Poison that hasn’t been said countless times? It’s heavy, mysterious, even a bit frightening. Everything you’ve heard about Poison is true – the good, the bad, the strange, the inexplicable.
edka71288 – :
If my memory serves me correctly, it would have been the late 80s on a holiday in France when a beautiful French lady gifted me a bottle of Poison. I was still child at the time but the smell totally enchanted me. This scent went on to define my youth and it would not be hyperbole to suggest this scent was my trade mark.
I had come to the realisation a long time ago, that fragrance had evolved into something that was so far removed from the days of my misspent youth, that any further purchases were a ticket for pure disappointment. However, when the bombastic and potent aroma of the early Poison is your benchmark, most things pale in comparison!
Since then I have found Fragrantica and undertook an education. The composition of fragrances have been subjected to regulation and what seems to be a quest to elevate profit far above a reputation for quality. It was only when I sprayed the 2018 Poison on my wrist recently, that I realised what a travesty this has all been.
Thanks to the Frargrantica community I have been able to research and establish the best ways to mitigate risk when purchasing vintage fragrances. Today arrived my first purchase- A 1993 bottle of Poison and my fascination and love of vintage fragrances has begun.
WOW. Before I had even made one spray, the scent exploded. What hit me was complete olfactory memory overload. Night clubbing in the 1990’s, glam outfits, dancing all night. Poison used to be almost medicinal for me in the way it instantaneously gave me confidence. A confidence I have never known since. I have visual memories of those days through photographs and now I have this beautiful and powerful smell to reminisce with. It is just such a shame the reflection in the mirror is not still what it was!
Unlike the 2018 Poison the 1993 bottle is immense. The scent radiates through the air wherever you walk. One spray and you are set up for the day. It is such a rich and expensive smelling scent. Alluring, loud and provocative, it wears you.
For anyone that finds the modern day reformulation pleasing I recommend you research the advice about purchasing vintage (batch codes, reform dates, pointers to authenticity) and spend a bit more and indulge yourself. Yes, vintage is expensive but whereas a reform may cost less, it is to my mind, a false economy. One spray of vintage EDT and you are set for the day. I certainly could not say the same for the reform. With the vintage you not only get more bang for your buck but you get the original, as it was designed and intended, you get a part of history and above all you get quality. The reform is pleasant and inoffensive but seriously, why have cotton when you can have silk?!
Suipeasebuisy – :
Poison slays my senses. This is a perfume that people either love or hate. I love it. I can be in a bad mood, and I spray this on my chest, and the aro