Hypnotic Poison Dior 1998 Eau de Toilette

Hypnotic Poison (Eau de Toilette) by Dior

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Ranked 2 in Women's Perfume

8.0 / 10 2224 Ratings

A popular perfume by Dior for women, released in 1998. The scent is sweet-oriental. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.
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Main accords

Sweet

Oriental

Gourmand

Powdery

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Bitter almond Coconut

Coconut

Apricot

Pimento

Plum

Heart Notes

Jasmine sambac

Tuberose

Lily of the valley Rose

Rose

Rosewood

Base Notes

Vanilla

Sandalwood

Perfumer

Annick Ménardo

Videos

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Ratings

Scent

8.02224 Ratings

Longevity

8.51869 Ratings

Sillage

8.31827 Ratings

Bottle

8.01850 Ratings

Value for money

7.81036 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 07/23/2025.

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Reviews

99 in-depth fragrance descriptions

11/17/2012

LiliumLibido
51 Reviews

LiliumLibido

Very helpful Review 11

Deliciously dangerous

(The listed notes make absolutely no sense to me, but my bottle is from 2000, before any reformulation had occured)

What poison is derived from bitter almonds? Cyanide. And this perfume conveys exactly that: The initial bite of bitter almonds followed by the glassy eyed hypnosis of a near death experience... In a good way. Really, I swear! *wink* (btw cyanide is also a component found in apple seeds and apricot pits)

I find the bitter almond to be evident right in the top notes, in this, it tentalizes and compells from the get go, right into a heady jasmine spiced up with caraway seed: unusual and delectable. The scent is then underlined with sandalwood, vanilla and a lot of musk, every drop speaks of beguiling seduction in a voice so bewitching it could probably raise the dead, lol.
Sensual, yummy and dangerous. A fabulous combination, for a perfume.

Now, the original one had lasting power that could defy time itself, but I have heard that the new stuff is downright flighty, unfortunately. So if you can get a bottle that does not have the golden ring at the top, and is mat as opposed to shiny, pounce on it ferociously and treat yourself to something really special.
Dior is infamous for having the absolute worst reformulations ever in the entire world of the perfume industry, so looking for vintages of that house is usually worth the time and money.

01/09/2012

7.5
Longevity 6
Scent

Missk
1357 Reviews

Missk

Top Review 8

Cuddly yet fiery vanilla

If you're looking for a fragrance that has a dominant note of vanilla, Hypnotic Poison would be your best choice. The vanilla in this perfume is rich, foody and realistic, just like you've rubbed vanilla essence onto your skin.

I can't help feeling comforted when wearing this scent. When applied lightly, this fragrance is soft and soothing, only drifting up towards your nose to greet you with its scent every now and then.

I don't actually find this fragrance sexy, to me Hypnotic Poison is more romantic, casual almost. Its striking red bottle which suggests that its contents are indeed quite poisonous and hypnotising, doesn't seem to match the scent in my personal opinion. I'd describe Hypnotic Poison as being feminine, warm, friendly and slightly musky rather than outrageously sexy or seductive.

Apart from the obvious vanilla note, there are subtle hints of coconut, spices and almond throughout, which makes Hypnotic Poison more of a gourmand rather than an oriental vanilla.

The lasting power is great, yet I wouldn't have expected anything less from a house like Dior. This perfume is the vanilla fragrance that I've always wanted to find, it's actually the way The Body Shop's Vanilla oil should have smelt. A true vanilla scent of undeniable quality and appeal.

01/03/2012

10
Longevity 9
Scent

Thatsmr2usir
67 Reviews

Thatsmr2usir

Very helpful Review 9

Almond cookie in a bottle

Vintage: Hypnotic Poison is a very well constructed & balanced perfume. It opens up with a nice bitter almond & vanilla accord which soon gives way to my nose a butter note that comes along & makes this a lil creamy.

I get a nice sugar cookie scent in the beginning that makes me want to bake! But that butter note just does not go away which is fine by me, because after a hour & a half the vanilla comes along with the woods to create a beautiful cake like substance!

Towards the end of this frag I get a somewhat disturbing plastic/glue feeling from this but it does not bother me to the point I want to scrub it off. The beginning & the middle are the best parts of HP! It last roughly 8 - 10 hours on me which is great for an EDT! Projection for me is ok, but nevertheless a beautiful addition to the Poison lineup! This can easily be worn by a man as well so if your the curious guy & you have been wanting to test this but have been scared/nervous because of the marketing concept SNAP OUT OF IT!!! Another + in the books for Dior!

02/26/2015

7.5
Longevity 8.5
Scent

Ineverwas
45 Reviews

Ineverwas

Helpful Review 6

It Will Kill You Soflty

Of all Dior's Poisons, Hypnotic is certainly the one that most literally captures the idea of poison: the sweet, unmistakable scent of almonds is actually given by the cyanide that these seeds harbour in small doses. So basically, Hypnotic Poison does smell like cyanide poison and it's both deliciously hypnotic and subliminally fatal.

The union of vanilla and almond is creamy and luscious and envelops you in a snug cocoon for the whole day, drawing compliments at every step. The coconut adds a touch of exoticism, while the tuberose provides a subtile rubbery feel that’s rather sexual in nature.

HP’s sharpest weapons are mostly hidden, but none the less effective. Underneath the fluffy cloud of playful vanillic sweetness lurk the carnal sensuality of the tuberose, the dangerous menace of the cyanide traces, the juicy darkness of the plum, the oriental mystery of the sandalwood.

So although it may appear to be merely another sweet perfume, there’s substantial depth and complexity to the formula. Clearly a lot of thought went into this perfume, rendering it a conceptual masterpiece, a both beautiful and meaningful creation.

Unfortunately there have been reformulations along the years that have altered the original perfection of HP. I had the opportunity to test both the original formula and 2 of its subsequent reformulations. Up to 2012, the smell was kept more or less intact, with primarily the lasting power and projection being weakened. I cannot speak though for the latest reformulation, which I hear is a more dramatic alteration.

If you are lucky enough to find it, buy the original version, or at least one that is produced before 2013.

11/12/2015

9
Scent

GMK
30 Reviews

GMK

Helpful Review 6

What else a Man wants.......

No female fragrances attracts me rather hits me like this hypnotic beauty , its Seductive, sensuous, flirtatious and yes provocative. I get voluptuous Frangipani/almond accord with a hint of tuberose making the blend very lovely and pleasing.
Every time i get a whiff of this charismatic and mysteriously beautiful scent , i just want to sniff it more & more and its really difficult to resist this.
As a men I consider this as a legendary female fragrance along with a few others.

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