A few days ago my mother and I did a little sampling tour of The Bay's perfume counters. We'd come to try Estee Lauder's Knowing and Dior's Hypnotic Poison ( the former won our mutual approval; the latter our mutual disdain ).
Out of contrast-and-compare curiosity I tried the original Poison, knowing nothing of it other than its infamy as an '80s power frag hated by all who survived the decade.
I smelled a high volume jasmine-tuberose that was effervescent and unnatural. I put the card down, satisfied at having smelled something that fit the infamy bill.
Ten minutes later, I went back to the store and retrieved the card.
The next day or so I just couldn't stop smelling it. There was something endlessly fascinating about it to me. Was it floral? Was it fruity? Was it oriental? Was it gourmand? Whatever it was it grew on me until today, when I returned and sprayed some on my skin.
Here is how it smells to me.
The first thing out is a powerful jasmine and tuberose accord. It doesn't really smell like either flower does in real life, but is anchored in qualities of both flowers. Aside from that, the first things noticeable are a loud fruity note redolent of grape crush, cinnamon, and a small dab of methyl salicylate. The latter is no-where near as powerful as in Tubereuse Criminelle, but does much to offset the overwhelming sweetness of the top notes. I think it, plus the grape, are the "cough syrup" smell many comment on. The top notes are both fascinating and revolting.
I applied the tiniest dab, but the sillage... oh boy, is it something else. Spray this in Mumbai and it'll clime Mount Everest.
The heart is the best part of this fragrance for me. The fruitiness calms down and changes from grape to blackberry or rather blackberry compote, pulpy and sweet. The jasmine-tuberose core dominates less and a certain spiciness comes forward, like allspice or clove, together with a warm musk that didn't show on paper. I find the balance of the various qualities extremely pleasing, and the sillage more manageable.
In the base, which emerges around the five to six hour mark on me, the fruits and flowers take a surprising leave of absence and what's left is a warm, musky amber with faint woody and vanillic touches. It's quiet here; almost a skin scent.
Poison, at least the EdT strength I tried, isn't a longevity monster on me, it lasts about ten to twelve hours. Such a small amount is needed - I applied a miniscule dab - that this is more than adequate.
This is a very complex fragrance, and I feel I've failed to do it justice. It's too easy to dismiss, with it's sweet, loud, chaotic top notes, that I feel the need to defend its reputation; to take someone else on the little journey this fragrance has taken me on. This, to me, is the antidote to all those pallid high calonic creations that flood the designer section.
As it is, I just hope its infamy doesn't kill it in the end. Being truly the opposite of the "fresh; fun" florals of today's designers, I can't imagine it sells well. Dior advertising tends to focus on Poison's flankers, which are unrelated, like Tendre, Hypnotic and Midnight, or a pale shadow, like Pure.
Why am I posting this on the men's forum? Because I think this is a fragrance almost universally known among women and I think one that the more adventurous men on this forum might enjoy giving a try.
If you can wear Carnal Flower, Sa Majeste La Rose or a comparable floral, this isn't too feminine for you. In fact the base notes are totally unisex. The "dangerous" part of a guy wearing this is not the composition of the fragrance so much as its instant recognizability as a women's fragrance by the older generation who lived through its vogue in the '80s. I think if it was released today by Tom Ford, Etat Libre D'Orange or Serge Lutens as a high-end unisex creation a lot more guys on Basenotes would be wearing it.
Personally, I know a bottle is in my near future.
( As an aside, it does occur to me it's a little odd that this, of all fragrances, is the first designer frag I've fallen head over heels for... )
Out of contrast-and-compare curiosity I tried the original Poison, knowing nothing of it other than its infamy as an '80s power frag hated by all who survived the decade.
I smelled a high volume jasmine-tuberose that was effervescent and unnatural. I put the card down, satisfied at having smelled something that fit the infamy bill.
Ten minutes later, I went back to the store and retrieved the card.
The next day or so I just couldn't stop smelling it. There was something endlessly fascinating about it to me. Was it floral? Was it fruity? Was it oriental? Was it gourmand? Whatever it was it grew on me until today, when I returned and sprayed some on my skin.
Here is how it smells to me.
The first thing out is a powerful jasmine and tuberose accord. It doesn't really smell like either flower does in real life, but is anchored in qualities of both flowers. Aside from that, the first things noticeable are a loud fruity note redolent of grape crush, cinnamon, and a small dab of methyl salicylate. The latter is no-where near as powerful as in Tubereuse Criminelle, but does much to offset the overwhelming sweetness of the top notes. I think it, plus the grape, are the "cough syrup" smell many comment on. The top notes are both fascinating and revolting.
I applied the tiniest dab, but the sillage... oh boy, is it something else. Spray this in Mumbai and it'll clime Mount Everest.
The heart is the best part of this fragrance for me. The fruitiness calms down and changes from grape to blackberry or rather blackberry compote, pulpy and sweet. The jasmine-tuberose core dominates less and a certain spiciness comes forward, like allspice or clove, together with a warm musk that didn't show on paper. I find the balance of the various qualities extremely pleasing, and the sillage more manageable.
In the base, which emerges around the five to six hour mark on me, the fruits and flowers take a surprising leave of absence and what's left is a warm, musky amber with faint woody and vanillic touches. It's quiet here; almost a skin scent.
Poison, at least the EdT strength I tried, isn't a longevity monster on me, it lasts about ten to twelve hours. Such a small amount is needed - I applied a miniscule dab - that this is more than adequate.
This is a very complex fragrance, and I feel I've failed to do it justice. It's too easy to dismiss, with it's sweet, loud, chaotic top notes, that I feel the need to defend its reputation; to take someone else on the little journey this fragrance has taken me on. This, to me, is the antidote to all those pallid high calonic creations that flood the designer section.
As it is, I just hope its infamy doesn't kill it in the end. Being truly the opposite of the "fresh; fun" florals of today's designers, I can't imagine it sells well. Dior advertising tends to focus on Poison's flankers, which are unrelated, like Tendre, Hypnotic and Midnight, or a pale shadow, like Pure.
Why am I posting this on the men's forum? Because I think this is a fragrance almost universally known among women and I think one that the more adventurous men on this forum might enjoy giving a try.
If you can wear Carnal Flower, Sa Majeste La Rose or a comparable floral, this isn't too feminine for you. In fact the base notes are totally unisex. The "dangerous" part of a guy wearing this is not the composition of the fragrance so much as its instant recognizability as a women's fragrance by the older generation who lived through its vogue in the '80s. I think if it was released today by Tom Ford, Etat Libre D'Orange or Serge Lutens as a high-end unisex creation a lot more guys on Basenotes would be wearing it.
Personally, I know a bottle is in my near future.
( As an aside, it does occur to me it's a little odd that this, of all fragrances, is the first designer frag I've fallen head over heels for... )
