Poison Perfume Reviews

If Christian Dior is my favourite perfume designer, Poison is my favourite Dior perfume. There is a whole line of fragrances with the same name, and I know all of them. Here is a brief (but I hope accurate) Poison perfume review.

Last time I smelled the original Poison Perfume for women was a long time ago, I was still at the university (ah, good memories) and the only thing I remembered is that it was very floral and had presence. Now, a couple of years later (or something more than that), with a sharper nose, here is what I feel.

The opening of the fragrance is strange and somehow shocking. The idea of a poisoned apple (name of the perfume plus the shape of the bottle) is not at all inappropriate here, as the first notes really smell of something like poison, or at least something synthetic. There are also low and dark notes of liqueur-like plums, and spicy notes: coriander according to the Christian Dior website, but to me they smell more like anise or cinnamon. In the middle phase, the sweet liqueur aroma continues, but now it seems to come from a dense floral. There is also a light hint of rose mixed with carnation. Towards the base notes, the liqueur fruits start to fade and the dense note is now more isolated: it’s opoponax resin, which feels like something between smoked amber and incense. Finally a note of woods and sandalwood give an oriental style, but they remain in the shade of the dominant resin.
Poison perfume is a very intense and radical fragrance, which is hard to categorize. It’s too dense for the summer, and too particular for a daily use. In the office it can be too intrusive, and has too much personality for a romantic perfume. What is left is a winter use, during the evening, or in general as a signature perfume.
The ideal age range starts from 40 years. Under that age you will need a lot of personality.

This perfume (sometimes misspelled as “tender” Poison perfume) is much more pleasant and with a traditional style, if compared to the original Poison. It’s as if in the Christian Dior perfume house they wanted to take a step towards all those who (like me) found the original poison too shocking.
The opening is fresh, fruity and floral at the same time, with notes of orange, mandarin (or bergamot), Galbanum resin (this one according to the Dior website). The middle notes pass very quickly, with feminine florals of freesia, mixed with a soft tuberous, roses and lemon blossom. Although the notes of tuberous roses of the original Poison are here as well, the style of this Tendre Poison at this stage is completely different, and tends towards rose-flavoured soap. In the base notes the rose is still intense, with a style that reminds a little of Animale for women, plus sandalwood and vanilla, with a somehow soapy aroma.
Much fresher and feminine than its predecessor, the fragrance offers more uses than the original. The floral notes are fresh for the summer, especially in the office, and very attractive and feminine for romantic occasions, although it can also work during the winter. The ideal age range is between 25 and 60 years.

The first time I smelled Hypnotic Poison was on a co-worker, who really liked vanilla, and did something that I never imagined could be done: she used to mix Hypnotic Poison with a Victoria’s Secret vanilla-flavoured cologne. She left behind a trail of white chocolate, cocoa, vanilla and sun-tan lotion. Now that I smell this fragrance alone, I realise that most of the notes that she left behind came from this Dior perfume. The opening notes are fruity, with notes of coconut (or it can also be bitter almond, but it actually smells like coconut oil like in sun-tan lotions), alcaravea (a type of cumin seed) and intense vanilla, like of aromatherapy, which comes from the base. In the middle notes there are traditional and feminine florals, like roses, jasmine, and lily-of-the-valley, but they are all covered by the coconut and vanilla of the opening. In the base notes coconut and vanilla are dominant, as if it were a mix of aromatherapy oils, but with also a layer of musk. There are also notes of wood, but they are very soft and they don’t interfere with the coconut and vanilla.
It is a very relaxed fragrance, suitable for any time of the year. It smells like a coconut tanning lotion during the summer and like vanilla during the winter. It can be used on a daily basis, and in an office it feels cheerful and gourmand, which is always addictive. The same addictive quality of coconut and vanilla make it attractive for a romantic use. On the night side in general it can take advantage of this sensual quality. The ideal age range is between 25 and 45 years.

This is another fragrance that I smelled for the first time on a female co-worker, and I remember it for being quite floral and feminine, slightly fruity, but without the excess of the first Poison perfume.
The opening is fruity in the line of oranges, mandarin and bergamot, but with a very different style from the original Poison. It’s even fresher and more feminine, as the orange notes mix with a young jasmine. In the middle notes there is an extra floral note of gardenia, although the fruity notes of the start are still dominant. In the base notes it’s still floral, and the jasmine and gardenia are more intense, the orange is almost absent. The floral notes are well mixed with amber and sandalwood.
Compared to the previous Poison perfumes, this Pure Poison perfume continues the feminine style of the Tendre Poison, but it’s more focused on oranges. The notes of gardenia are suitable for the winter, although it works better during the summer. Orange and jasmine are very pleasant for a romantic use and gardenia gives a sensual touch. On the night side it can be appropriate for informal occasions like after-work drinks. The ideal age range is between 20 and 45 years.

Here is the last of the Poison perfumes. The opening notes of Midnight Poison are vaguely floral, sweet but not gourmand, with fresh notes of bergamot and orange, although not so intense and clear as in Pure Poison. It gives the feeling of having more fruity notes, but they’re hard to detect individually. In the middle notes this perfume is sweeter, with floral and vanilla, reminding at times of Allure Homme, although it never stops smelling feminine. The base notes are with sweet vanilla mixed with amber, with pleasant traces of patchouli and rose. This Midnight Poison starts as a summer fragrance, but towards the middle notes it has more a winter soul. It’s attractive for a use in the office, and the vanilla works great on the romantic side. As the name “Midnight” suggests, it is more than suitable to be worn at night, as its density will stand the competition of other perfumes and the other odours of the environment. The ideal age to wear this Dior fragrance starts from 25 and can go up to 50 years.