As a fragrance I grew up with, used by teachers, friends, and family members, I'm startled to realize that I have no associations with this aroma, either negative or positive. So...I can enjoy this scent for myself without it eliciting any tainted memories. And enjoy it I do. Somewhere between a triangle of incense, cough syrup, and tanning lotion lies the olfactory pyramid for Poison. I've always had a thing for fragrances that are either sweet or powdery, but on my skin, Poison is both and it's the only 1980s powerhouse women's scent that I'll actually wear on my 30-something male skin!

Without much development, but with trails of sillage, Poison manages to be many things at once – graceful and subtle, however, it is not. A sweet, dark burst of fruit married to powdery florals and set against musky amber, I wear this at home, in cooler weather, at night. The packaging evokes the feel of the fragrance near perfectly – deep greens, black and aubergine – and I love the trail of sandalwood and opopanax in the basenotes. The rose notes are nearly imperceptible with the floral notes being all about tuberose…a note I’ve grown more and more intrigued with since I fell in love with Creed’s Indiana. But it’s the coriander, cinnamon and plum notes that I find to be the most startling. Overall, this is a warm luxurious velvet blanket draped across a satin settee in a candlelit room that has greeted many a trail of wafting floral incense. However, wear too much and in the light of day you’ll find the empty Robitussin bottles scattered under the settee next to the Coppertone.

Poison is a scent that has been copied ad nauseum in room fresheners, carpet cleaner, etc, but somehow I have never tired of it…one of the most original and interesting fragrances ever created in my humble opinion!