Monarch Maison Asrar 1981

Bottle Design:
Véronique Monod

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8.4 / 10 402 Ratings

A popular perfume by Maison Asrar for women, released in 1981. The scent is oriental-floral. Projection and longevity are above-average. It is being marketed by LVMH.
Pronunciation

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Main accords

Oriental

Floral

Spicy

Sweet

Fruity

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Orange honey

Coriander

Plum

Pimento

Rosewood

Wild berries Aniseed

Aniseed

Heart Notes

Tuberose

Carnation

Opoponax

Frankincense Jasmine

Jasmine

Neroli

Cinnamon

Rose

Base Notes

Heliotrope Vanilla

Vanilla

Amber

Cedar

Musk

Sandalwood Vetiver

Vetiver

Perfumers

Jean Guichard, Edouard Fléchier

Ratings

Scent

8.4402 Ratings

Longevity

8.8357 Ratings

Sillage

8.6354 Ratings

Bottle

8.8363 Ratings

Value for money

7.9157 Ratings

Submitted by Sniffer, last update on 07/13/2025.

Variant of the fragrance concentration

This is a variant of the perfume Poison (Esprit de Parfum) by Dior, which differs in concentration.

Smells similar

What the fragrance is similar to

Poison Esprit de Parfum

Express Sensualité Captive

Cobra

Rumba Eau de Toilette

Amjad

Memoir Woman Eau de Parfum

Reviews

28 in-depth fragrance descriptions

09/19/2015

10
Bottle 7.5
Sillage 10
Longevity 9
Scent

MasterLi
375 Reviews

MasterLi

Helpful Review 6

A touch of dark magic...

What a fragrance! Smelling this one is such an experience all by itself! A classic that has been around first as a phenomenon and then as a cult favourite for decades!

I am so happy that I finally got to try this one. The mother of all fruity, boozy sweet floral wonders! Experiencing Dior Poison is such a magical thing that I needed to write about it.

Ok, so the version I have is the current Eau de Toilette. I haven't experienced older or stronger versions, but the one I have here has impressed me enough. To me, it is a very "gothic" kind of fragrance. You have a blast of stewed and boozy fruits (plum, berries, and honey and cinnamon), this is joined by a host of crazily dense notes, myrrh, benzoin, oppoponax, tuberose, jasmine, rose. So many things going on but it is absolutely addictive! I can see why this one was a best seller for so long...

I think that this was almost like Tom Ford Black Orchid before such a thing ever existed. I think the structure of that particular fragrance owes a lot to this one. Except I think I like this one better. I love the way the fruits and honey are joined by the resins and soft florals, a juicy, addictive mix that almost feels like being drunk. It's a wonderful experience.

To me it reminds me of everything that is dark, seductive, gothic and opulent. I think of velvet cloaks and masked balls. I think of intrigue, seduction, betrayal, and lust. All of those things are captured in this incredible smell.

Of course I do recognise that perhaps not everyone out there will like it. It is dense and it is so full of flavour and "shock" for the nose that it can be hard to take in. But you know something? I keep wanting to smell it. I think this comes mainly because of it's originality, due to the fact that it is so unusual. You will be noticed when you wear this one.

Yes I do like it, very much. I have no problem wearing it as I think it is pretty much unisex by today's standards. I have never experienced the vintage version, but I am told it was stronger than this. If so, that must have been quite an experience! I would recommend this one for lovers of heavy, unique fragrances, and something gothic and classic and elegant. It is bold, so you need to be ok with that to wear it, but it really is something else.

09/20/2015

7.5
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Drseid
821 Reviews

Drseid

Helpful Review 5

80s Seduction In a Bottle...

Poison (vintage) opens with an orange-plum-grape syrup accord with hints of underlying jasmine. As the composition moves to its early heart the jasmine takes over alongside the now co-starring banana-like tuberose and moderately sweet deep honeyed plum, adding hints of cinnamon spice support. During the late dry-down the composition turns slightly powdery as almond-vanilla-like floral heliotrope takes over control from the vacating jasmine and tuberose, with moderately sweet sandalwood and relatively tame musk adding support through the finish. Projection is outstanding, as is longevity at about 15 hours on skin.

Oh yeah, vintage Poison has the great 80s hallmarks all over it. It is powerhouse Eau de Toilette compositions like this that make one wonder how credible the Eau de Parfum and Extrait composition strengths of today that command premium prices really are. This stuff is nuclear strong, only needing a couple small dabs from the stopper to create nuclear projection. Performance aside, the composition smells absolutely heavenly when used in moderation. The first note that stood out over all others was the jasmine, as it really is the driver of the composition with the tuberose a close second. Together the two meld perfectly with the honeyed plum accord, creating a mixture that is absolutely intoxicating. The heliotrope driven base is less interesting, but it never gets too powdery, and as the mid-section is so powerful (both in its hypnotic scent profile and its potency), a little bit of a respite is welcome. Vintage Poison has "masterpiece" written all over it, and it comes as no surprise that one of the two perfumers behind it is none other than the great and highly underrated Edouard Flechier -- one of my absolute all-time favorite perfumers that hasn't released a dud yet (and the other, Jean Guichard is no slouch either). I certainly would love smelling Poison on a lady, but I confess this is one I want to wear too. The bottom line is vintage Poison EdT is completely true to its 80s powerhouse roots, adding yet another masterpiece to my favorite decade of perfumery earning it a 4.5 to 5 star out of 5 rating and an extremely strong recommendation to all. Bravo Flechier and Guichard!

02/01/2023

5
Pricing 10
Bottle 10
Sillage 6
Longevity 10
Scent

Patrick88
2 Reviews

Patrick88

5

Perfect feminine scent

I am absolutely in love with the Dior Poison perfume. From the moment I first smelled it, I knew it was something special. The fragrance is both floral and spicy, with top notes of tuberose and coriander, and a warm base of sandalwood and amber. The combination of scents creates a captivating aroma that is both feminine and mysterious.

The packaging of the perfume is also gorgeous, with a classic design that exudes elegance and sophistication. It's the perfect fragrance for any occasion, whether you're dressing up for a night out or just want to feel confident and beautiful during the day.

One of the things I love most about Dior Poison is its lasting power. A little bit goes a long way, and the scent lingers on my skin for hours. It's a true statement fragrance that never fails to turn heads.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend Dior Poison to anyone looking for a signature scent. It's timeless, versatile, and has a captivating fragrance that will leave you feeling confident and beautiful.

09/25/2023

10
Pricing 10
Bottle 8
Sillage 9
Longevity 10
Scent

MrsGuerlain
428 Reviews

MrsGuerlain

4

Iconic

The year is 1987. I am with some friends and we sit and talk. A girl joins and sits next to me. I immediately smell a strange, somewhat moldy smell a bit like damp clothes mixed with plum… My nose twitches and my brain shouts: No! Later I ask the girl what perfume she is wearing and she tells me, it is an expensive Dior named Poison. I make a quick decision never to try, buy or wear it.
A few years later I am at a bus stop waiting for the bus to get me home from work. I am tired after a 12 hours’ shift and all I can think of is getting home and go to bed. A lady sits down on the bench - and suddenly I am not tired anymore. A wonderful flowery-plummy scent reaches my nose. It soon turns into a lovely berry-rosy-spicy medley, like music that you really want to listen to, on and on. The hit you swear you will never get tired of listening to. I just sit there and enjoy the perfume. My bus arrives. Right before getting on it I turn and compliment the lady on her perfume, asking what it is. She answers: oh, it’s Dior Poison. I nod and get on the bus. And all the way home I keep thinking how the experience of the same scent can be so different. The next day I bought it, not knowing if my body chemistry will work with it. It did.
Poison was a huge success in the mid-eighties. Everybody wore it. And I understand why, because it was a scent that suited the time so well: Being loud and in-your-face with a provoking name. No subtlety or smell of romantic roses and lilies. This is a potent power potion that women wore, feeling modern, strong and up-to-date. When I first started to separate the notes I found this scent even better. The plum, the berries, the tuberose and the vanilla notes are simply marvellous. In the mix of all the other notes that support them we are very close to a masterpiece.
Even the bottle deserves a comment. Véronique Monod has, among others, designed Christian Lacroix’s C’est la Vie bottle and Dior’s Dune. She is such a skillful artist and I admire her deeply. Poison is probably her best bottle. To me it looks like a ripe plum, and my mouth starts to water.
74/365

08/01/2015

10
Bottle 10
Sillage 10
Longevity 10
Scent

Isabelle1
47 Reviews

Isabelle1

4

My treasure

I am not an English speaker, but for my beloved poison I will do an effort. This is for me the empress among the perfumes, I know many don't like it. And I also know many say it smells awful on their skin, but for me this is the fragrance that gives me so many compliments, I have to say I stick to the vintage and whenever I find them (I hunt for my treasure) I buy it. I have a stash of this fragrance that will last my life, and still when I see a vintage I buy it. How often that strangers have asked me what's that wonderful smell that I am wearing, and very often they are surprised when I say it is the original Poison, on my skin it smells Divine. And how much others might hate it, some hate already the name alone , I couldn't care less, because on my skin everybody loves it. Thank you Dior for having created such a masterpiece , again I restrict myself to the vintage, I have tried the reformulation, it is also very good but not as divine as the vintage....

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