OpenTube

Poison: The 80s Scent That Was Too Powerful to Survive

Perfume Archives

23,536 views

💜 The perfume so powerful it got banned from restaurants.

In this episode of Perfume Archives, we dive into the astonishing rise, controversy, and transformation of Dior Poison — the legendary 1985 fragrance that shocked the perfume world, dominated the late 80s, and eventually became a victim of reformulation and regulation.

From Maurice Roger’s risky decision to choose the scent Parisian women hated most… to Edouard Flechier’s accidental overdose of damascone… to the iconic purple apple bottle and the backlash that only made it more famous, this is the story of how Poison became a cultural force.

We’ll explore:
• why Dior desperately needed a hit in the 1980s
• how Poison was created to provoke, not please
• the restaurant bans and public outrage
• why it sold at an unbelievable pace
• how changing tastes in the 90s pushed it out of fashion
• what IFRA and EU regulations did to the original formula
• why vintage Poison is still hunted by collectors today

If you love perfume history, vintage fragrances, Dior, or stories about scents that changed culture, this one is for you.

✨ Subscribe to Perfume Archives for more deep dives into the legends, scandals, and hidden histories of fragrance.
💬 And in the comments: what perfume instantly brings back a memory for you?

#DiorPoison #PerfumeArchives #PerfumeHistory #VintagePerfume #Dior #FragranceHistory #PoisonPerfume #EdouardFlechier #LuxuryFragrance #PerfumeCollection #VintageFragrance #ScentHistory #PerfumeLovers #NichePerfume #DesignerPerfume

dior poison, poison perfume, vintage poison, original poison formula, perfume history, fragrance history, christian dior perfume, edouard flechier, vintage fragrance, reformulated perfumes, ifra perfume regulations, eu fragrance laws, 1980s perfume, controversial perfumes, iconic fragrances, perfume documentary, luxury perfume history, banned perfume, perfume collectors, miss dior history

00:00 Intro
01:03 Dior Needed A Hit
02:46 Maurice Roger Bets On Provocation
04:13 Choosing The Scent Paris Hated Most
05:31 How Poison Was Composed
07:18 The Forbidden Bottle And Launch
08:33 Poison Takes Over America
10:20 Backlash Bans And Bigger Sales
13:07 Why Poison Fit The Eighties Perfectly
14:40 The Nineties Turn Against Power Scents
18:06 Reformulation And The Death Of The Original
26:19 Outro

20 Comments

@lilianagongone8918 12 days ago

i miss the 80 s......

@maxmidnight8469 10 days ago

Glorious Poison! Part of my childhood memory! 🖤🍎🦂🩸🏴‍☠️

@TASconfidential 8 days ago

Although the author used AI to give an idea of what stores looked like selling this perfume, I can confirm that it can’t compare to how elegant and fabulous dept stores were in their product displays in the 80s. The “perfume floor’s” layouts were ornate, with he displays were extremely elegant, and even the product packaging was over the top and amazing.

Shopping in the 80s was such a fabulous experience and can never be matched again.

@nateamaro9817 5 days ago

Not the old CEO just popping out of the middle of the boardroom table as just a torso. Lol, we love you AI you crazy bastard.

@AnnAthey-c9z 6 days ago

I collect perfumes and this is definitely one of my favorites.

@GymBodyAtlanta 8 days ago

I was a 26-year-old young man working in sales audit for Macy's Atlanta (both Lenox Square and the downtown Peachtree store) when this debuted. You can't forget this fragrance. It was STRONG to say the least. You could smell that perfume ALL over the store--especially on Saturdays and around Christmas and Mother's Day when Dior would send out the fragrance models to attack customers as they strolled through the fragrance and cosmetic department. Even the fragrance models had to have "the look" and Dior supplied them with dark purple dresses, dark green Dior silk stockings (which were sold in the hosiery department), black suede pumps and the dark green taffeta moire' long smock/jackets (with shoulder pads of course). Just as the video mentioned, I remember those peacock feathers that customers walked around with that were sprayed with Poison. It was A LOT! I became friends with one of the regular fragrance models as they had to sign in through the controller's office adjacent to the sales audit suite to obtain a vendor's badge before the store opened--and she gave me a big bottle (testers they called them to spray the peacock feathers with) and I gave it to my mother for Mother's Day that year. It was SO pungent you either loved it or hated it. A lot of customers (and employees) complained about how intense and strong it was. But it does make you remember it well..LOL! Department stores (especially high-end upscale ones) were SO glamourous in those days--with fashion shows, special events to launch a new product, etc--and I remember we had celebrities and brand ambassadors come to the store for special events (Paloma Picasso, Oscar de la Renta and the French Chanel model were just a few). Those days are gone sadly. Now everything is like a Target or Khol's. How far we've fallen.

@TASconfidential 8 days ago

The 80s did it right with perfumes. I still remember these wonderful scents on the ladies in my family and in iconic dept stores….. Poision, Bijan, Lou Lou, Obsession, Fendi.

Powerful, iconic, boss ass perfumes!!!

@ann-mariemeyers9978 10 days ago

It was my favorite. You had to know how to apply it and wear it. I have the modern version. It's not quite the same, but I still love it. I wore some near my daughter, who is now 40. She smiled, looked dreamy, and said, "It smells like you, Mom."😊

@Coasterdude02149 8 days ago (edited)

If purple had a scent, Poison was it. I loved it in '85 when it came out, I still love it even tho the reformulation is nothing like the original. I still wear it. Dior also made a MASSIVE mistake when they discontinued Midnight Poison.

@ann-mariemeyers9978 10 days ago (edited)

Power suits, big hair and beast fragrances. I wore Poison and Scheherezade.

@tylerpratt5365 3 weeks ago

Remember this completely. This is not an exaggeration!!

@atifarohman3342 6 days ago (edited)

I don't care if it was hated, I love it and will always love it. Shame it has been watered down over the years though

@InkMink 6 days ago

My mom had it. I remember the smell, its name was very fitting. It was intoxicating very strong it smelled good but also like you shouldn’t be huffing it cause it also smelled vaguely like an industrial chemical or like nail polish remover 😂 I’d love to smell it again.

@joannamillan8882 7 days ago

Loved Poison ❤ 80s

@helenpettey7737 7 days ago

This is the only perfume I have ever worn that I was stopped and asked what I was wearing several times

@reddeadfan6748 6 days ago

Well in other words the true art of vintage perfume is dying into hollowness

@Glenn-n1d 6 days ago

C'est la vie by Lacroix by the same perfumer (Edouard Fleischer) suffered the same fate as CD's Poison..It is so sad to see those intoxicatingly opulent and beautiful fragrances disappear from the perfumery shelves..The art of perfumery, of decades ago is sadly lost..due to these unfortunate restrictions..

@chriskoerner1767 8 days ago

I loved it wore it all the time when sold cosmetics at Marcus when I was in my 20s, I really loved it

@donnadrane4977 4 days ago

As far as I know, the original formulations of Chanel #5, Shalimar, Poison, Evening in Paris, never killed anyone. How could they have been unsafe? I do not appreciate reformulations of classic original scents.