Poison is the legendary perfume classic of the French fashion house Dior that appeared in 1985 and to this day is one of the most influential sweet floral perfumes ever and has inspired the creation of hundreds of others. The launch of Poison was a turning point for Dior, with which they began conquering the US market, and on the other hand gave the right competitor to the omnipresent and megapopular Opium, the perfume by Yves Saint Laurent. Nevertheless, another Poison experienced a far greater commercial success. It’s also my favorite – Hypnotic Poison.
Everything about Poison perfume is hypnotizing and addictive. From the very scent, selected from 800 others, through a perfume bottle that suggests that it is a forbidden fruit to Isabelle Adjani, a French actress of unreal beauty who was chosen to be the face of the entire campaign. To this date, Poison is one of the most beautiful tuberoses that has ever appeared in the perfume world, and as it is the case with all tuberoses, indifference is impossible. Either you love it or hate it.
In order to understand Poison and its greatness, we must understand the time in which it originated. The 1980s were known for very powerful, so-called powerhouse perfumes. After all, the symbol of the decade is Opium, the perfume you cannot escape even if you had NASA aircraft. Parallel with the perfume trend, the idea of strong, successful businesswomen has come to life in all aspects of society, even in Hollywood. Just remember amazing Sigourney Weaver and Diane Keaton. What perfumes would be suitable for such brave, bold, direct and fearless women? They had to be like the big hairstyles, big shoulders, big jewelry, and big, vibrant colors – over the top.
The perfume composition Poison perfume is floral oriental, or in perfume lovers tongue – floriental. As with most modern perfumes like Lancome Tresor, the upper refreshing note has been removed for practical reasons. The character of the perfume can be sensed immediately after application, as opposed to the traditional pyramidal structure that requires the perfume to rest for a while and develop on the skin. But it did not go in favor of the Dior brand when it tried to break into the market of impatient American ladies, who wanted it all and wanted it now. Top notes were replaced by a slightly narcotic mixture of fragrant oil of cypress and rose, while the freshness was brought by a very popular mixture of geranium and mandarine, also present in many other powerhouse perfumes with the scent of the dominant tuberose such as of Giorgio Beverly Hills.
The very core of Poison is tuberose in combination with carnation and orange flower, enriched with delicious fruit notes of plum and scented resin, which give the perfume composition an oriental, eastern tone and strength. Each of these ingredients on its own would be too much. Together, in a small, dark bottle shaped like an apple from the Greek mythology – the apple of discord, they make a concoction that can both inspire and divide and also deceive entire nations. As the name of the perfume says, it is a poison, but the poison can also heal … in small doses. Keep this in mind when you apply Poison the next time.
[Fragrance notes] top notes: coriander, plum, forest fruits, rosewood, anise, pepper; middle notes: opoponax, jasmine, neroli, tuberose, incense, cinnamon, rose, honey, carnation; base notes: heliotrope, vetiver, musk, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, cedar, cypress. [Fragrance group] oriental floralPerfume creator is Edouard Flechier.