
Poison is a women's perfume by Dior, first released in 1985. It has been described as a revolutionary, legendary, and unforgettable fragrance. The scent is a combination of spicy, fruity, woody, and floral notes, including coriander, wild berries, orange blossom, plum, tuberose, vanilla, and musk. The perfume has a distinct purple-coloured bottle designed to resemble forbidden fruit. Over the years, Dior has released several variations of the original Poison perfume, including Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison, Poison Girl, and Poison Amulets.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Top notes | Coriander, wildberries, orange honey, Tuberose, Plum, Apricot, Coconut, Bitter orange |
| Heart notes | Jasmine, Rose, Caraway, Lily of the valley, Orange blossom, Damascus rose, Grasse rose |
| Base notes | Opopanar, Musk, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Almond, Venezuelan tonka bean |
| Other notes | Amber, Heliotrope, Cinnamon, Rosewood, Plum, Cedar, Pepper, Cistus labdanum, Opopanax, Anise |
| Other ingredients | Alcohol, Aqua (water), Triethyl citrate, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, Eugenol, Benzyl benzoate, Butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane, Coumarin, Geraniol, Citronellol, Alpha-isomethyl ionone, Limonene, Benzyl salicylate, Farnesol, Benzyl alcohol, Isoeugenol, Pentaerythrityl tetra-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 60730 (ext. violet 2), Citral, Cinnamal, Anise alcohol, Hexyl cinnamal |
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What You'll Learn
- Poison's top notes include coriander, wild berries, orange honey, tuberose, and plum
- Poison's middle notes include jasmine, rose, caraway, and coconut
- Poison's base notes are musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and almond
- Poison's formulation has changed since its release in 1985
- Poison has been described as a legendary and iconic perfume

Poison's top notes include coriander, wild berries, orange honey, tuberose, and plum
Coriander is an everyday scent that is light and fresh, with a subtle aura. It combines aquatic materials with the ambery coolness of iso e super and the rich hay-like lavender absolute. The base of green moss and musks adds a lasting freshness. Coriander is a versatile note that can be combined with other scents to create unique fragrances.
Wild berries add a fruity and floral touch to fragrances. They are often used in body mists and sprays to create sweet and refreshing scents. Orange honey, derived from orange blossoms, adds a warm and sweet aroma to perfumes. It is known for its sparkling citrus notes and spiced musk undertones.
Tuberose, a flowering plant native to Mexico, is a treasured and sought-after note in perfumery. Its sweet, narcotic fragrance evokes floral and animal nuances, with creamy, milky accents. Tuberose is often used as a heart or base note, bringing warmth and sensuality to fragrances. It is a versatile flower that can be combined with green and spicy notes to create richer, more intriguing compositions.
Plum is a versatile olfactory note that is commonly used in gourmet perfumes and summer fragrances to add freshness and lightness. Its scent is described as soft, fruity, and sweet, with subtle floral and spicy nuances. Plum is recreated through accords, which are combinations of different olfactory notes that evoke the characteristic scent of plum. These accords can be fruity, gourmand, floral, or woody, each creating unique and harmonious pairings.
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Poison's middle notes include jasmine, rose, caraway, and coconut
Poison, the iconic fragrance from Dior, has a unique combination of middle notes, including jasmine, rose, caraway, and coconut. These middle notes form the heart of the perfume, adding depth and complexity to the overall scent.
Jasmine, with its exotic and intensely fragrant aroma, is a common ingredient in perfumery, offering a rich, sweet, and heady scent. It blends beautifully with the rose notes, which bring their own complexity to the fragrance. The rose fragrance is a complex interplay of many different molecules, with different varieties of roses offering distinct nuances. The Taif rose, for instance, is known for its aromatic, spicy scent with herbal nuances, while other roses may have fruity or citrusy notes, such as apple, lemon, or clove.
Caraway, on the other hand, is an unusual choice for a perfume ingredient. It has a sharp and sweet, lightly spicy note derived from the steam distillation of caraway seeds. Caraway is a challenging spice to work with in perfumery due to its strong character and limited compatibility with other scents. However, in Poison, it adds a distinctive element to the middle notes, creating a unique and memorable fragrance.
Coconut, the final middle note in Poison, contributes a creamy, tropical scent. This is achieved through the use of lactones, particularly γ-undecalactone and its derivatives, which create the characteristic scent of sweet, waxy coconuts. The coconut note in Poison is carefully blended with the other middle notes, adding a subtle touch of the exotic to the overall fragrance.
The combination of these middle notes—jasmine, rose, caraway, and coconut—creates a complex and enigmatic heart for Poison. The interplay of sweet, spicy, and creamy notes forms the core of this legendary fragrance, making it a truly distinctive and iconic perfume.
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Poison's base notes are musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and almond
Poison by Dior is a fragrance for women that was launched in 1985. It is described as a "revolutionary fragrance that became a legend" since its release. Poison is a woody, fruity, and spicy fragrance with a mysterious and elegant character.
Base notes are the foundation of a perfume and are rich, heavy, and long-lasting. They kick in about 30 minutes after application and can last for six hours or more. Poison's base notes are musk, vanilla, sandalwood, and almond. Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. Natural musk was historically sourced from the musk deer, but today, almost all musk fragrances are synthetic due to the endangerment of the musk deer. Synthetic musk is produced to mimic the original scent, with some describing real vanilla as earthier with touches of treacle and a hint of 'booziness'. Musk is also found in plants such as Angelica archangelica or Abelmoschus moschatus, which produce musky-smelling compounds.
Vanilla is another base note in Poison and is the second priciest spice in the world, after saffron. It is known for its sweet and comforting scent and is often associated with magic and aphrodisiac properties. Vanilla is commonly used in 'sexy' and 'come-hither' fragrances, adding a touch of warmth and sensuality to the perfume.
Sandalwood is a versatile and creamy sweet-smelling ingredient used in the base of many feminine perfumes. It blends well with a variety of other scents, including cloves, lavender, geranium, and jasmine. Sandalwood has a long history in perfumery, especially in ancient Arab and Indian cultures, where it was valued for its soothing and spiritual properties.
Almond is another note in Poison, adding a nutty and slightly sweet element to the fragrance. While almond is not commonly mentioned as a base note, it can provide a smooth and subtle aroma that complements the other base notes in Poison.
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Poison's formulation has changed since its release in 1985
Poison, the iconic perfume by Dior, has undergone a formulation change since its release in 1985. The original scent was a bold, spicy, fruity, and woody fragrance with top notes of coriander, wild berries, and orange honey, and tuberose at its heart. The base note featured opopanar, giving it a dark, mysterious, and elegant character.
Over the years, the formulation has evolved, and while the current version retains some of the original spice notes, it is noticeably different. The new formulation is described as weaker, less floral, and with a less prominent plum note, which was a distinctive feature of the original scent. The latest version is said to have a synthetic high note, and while it still has a spicy character, it lacks the strong, fruity floral high notes of the original.
The change in formulation could be attributed to several factors. Firstly, the regulations governing the perfume industry have evolved since the 1980s, leading to reformulations of many classic fragrances. Additionally, Dior may have made intentional changes to the formula to appeal to modern tastes or to cater to a wider audience.
Despite the changes, Poison remains a legendary and iconic perfume, with a unique and memorable character. The new formulation has its admirers, who appreciate its addictive quality and find it beautiful and worth experiencing. However, those who remember the original scent from the 1980s often express disappointment with the new version, longing for the vintage formulation's potency and distinctive soul.
The evolution of Poison over time highlights the complex nature of fragrance creation and how a perfume's formulation can be a dynamic process, adapting to changing trends, regulations, and consumer preferences.
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Poison has been described as a legendary and iconic perfume
Poison, the iconic perfume by Dior, was launched in 1985. It has been described as a legendary fragrance with a unique and unforgettable scent. The perfume is characterised by its rich, spicy, floral, and ambery notes, with sensual accords of honey and musk. It is a provocative and mysterious fragrance, designed for heightened seduction. The original formulation is described as having a fruity floral high note with some spice, while the newer formulation is considered "tamer" and has a weaker scent.
The perfume's top notes include coriander, wild berries, orange honey, tuberose, and plum. It also has notes of sandalwood, musk, jasmine, orange blossom, coriander, vetiver, pepper, cedar, cinnamon, rosewood, heliotrope, vanilla, rose de mai absolute, cistus labdanum, and opopanax. The bottle design adds to the allure of the fragrance, with its deep amethyst colour and gold neck, resembling forbidden fruit.
Over the years, Dior has released several variants of the original Poison perfume, including Hypnotic Poison, Pure Poison, Poison Girl, and Poison Amulets. Each variation offers a unique twist on the original scent, catering to different preferences and demographics. Hypnotic Poison, for example, is an oriental vanilla fragrance with top notes of plum, apricot, and coconut, while Poison Girl features bitter orange and tonka bean notes.
The impact of Poison extends beyond its olfactory appeal. It has become a cultural icon, with some comparing the experience of encountering the fragrance to bumping into a much-loved celebrity from another generation. Poison's boldness and uniqueness have made it a signature scent for many, and it continues to captivate and intrigue those who encounter it.
Poison by Dior has undoubtedly earned its reputation as a legendary and iconic perfume. Its complex and captivating scent, along with its intriguing packaging, have made it a standout fragrance that has withstood the test of time. Poison continues to be a sought-after choice for those seeking a sophisticated and distinctive fragrance experience.
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Frequently asked questions
Poison, the original fragrance by Dior, features coriander, wild berries, orange honey, tuberose, and opopanar.
Hypnotic Poison by Dior has top notes of coconut, plum, and apricot. The middle notes are jasmine, tuberose, and rose. The base notes are vanilla, musk, and sandalwood.
Pure Poison by Dior features bergamot, jasmine, sandalwood, orange blossom, white musk, and amber.
Poison Girl by Dior has a top note of bitter orange, a heart note of rose, and a base note of Venezuelan tonka bean. The scent also includes sandalwood, almond, vanilla, and tolu balm.









































