Poison by Dior

This is one of those nuclear 80s concoctions that made the decade famous, but also feared into minimalist submission by the 90s. Poison put Dior on the map and became a brand in it’s own right with wildly popular flankers throughout the years. None, however, hold a candle to the longevity and darkness of this bitch. The utter excess and extreme nature of this forbidden fruit is why it’s gone down in perfume history vs. the more commercially successful Hypnotic Poison. Where Diorella (1972) began to get at the fact that flowers are not as wholesome as they seem—Poison took that even further. It’s all about the white floral and buying into the femme fatale myth. Tuberose and Jasmine play into that narrative perfectly because upfront they can be sparkling, then they can turn cloying to fecal before you know it. Once you get that overly ripe twang you’ve been “poisoned.” This is for every divorcée in First Wives Club and also Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. Know and use your wiles cautiously.

Notes include coriander, orange blossom, plum, black pepper, star anise, tuberose, jasmine, berries, carnation, honey, cedarwood, sandalwood, heliotrope, musk, and Opoponax. In real life you’re going to smell like honestly Glenn Close and Angelica Houston throughout their careers. Be afraid and intrigued, be very afraid.