Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrète
Christian Dior (2013)

Lighter is generally better for me when it comes to the Poisons because I'm not a fan of its overbearing character though I like the smell. I've tried Hypnotic Poison and now this, hoping to find one I love. But so far that hasn't happened. I like eau Secrète better than Hypnotic Poison though. The caraway play-doh note was taken out, which killed HP for me, and some citrus added to the top. It is less gourmand, lighter and casually sweet.
But Eau Secrète has a slight plasticine odor overlaying it, similar to the plastic vanilla Barbie Doll smell. That is a step up from the play-doh in HP, but I'm not looking for any accords of that nature, a plasticky oddness on my skin, which always produce a dissonance in my space. Pass.

Only vaguely similar to its namesake, Eau Secrete is a little less vanilla, and a lot more citrus. The citrus is juicy in its opening, but bitter in its drydown. I'm afraid I can't say much more than that - as it takes almost no time at all for this one to start fading away. Though it's a pleasant scent, it's not quite Dior quality, and not reminiscent enough of its predecessor. Sillage and longevity are quite weak, as well. All I can conclude is that though Eau Secrete is just not worth its pricetag.

Nice Strong FlankerMandarin and bergamot give this a fresher opening that to the original. Jasmine takes over in the drydown, and the HP-typical vanilla procures sweetness towards the end. Less complex, but overall more convincing, mainly due to excellent silage, projection, and nine hours of longevity. A nice poison for spring days.Pros: LongevityCons:

Juha is a comic hero in Arab folklore along the Mediterranean coast. The stories are charming and memorable, especially in Arabic, and you inevitably laugh either at or with Juha. Hypnotic Poison Eau Secrete brings to mind a particular punchline from Juha.

One day Juha was out hunting and he caught a rabbit. He brought it home, where he skinned and roasted it. A fine toothsome smell filled the house and floated out the windows. As Juha was sitting to eat, raising a bit of roasted meat to his mouth, there was a knock at the door.

It was Juha's neighbor. He had smelled the food and hoped to drop in for a bite. Juha invited him inside and offered his neighbor a place at table. They had a wonderful meal, and the neighbor left highly satisfied. On the way back to his house the neighbor met the man that lived on his other side. They exchanged news, and the neighbor's neighbor learned that Juha had shared out a fine dish of rabbit.

For his next meal Juha boiled the remains of the rabbit with spices and vegetables. He sat down to eat his rabbit soup when he heard a knock on the door. It was the neighbor's neighbor, hoping to share in Juha's culinary spoils. They shared the soup, and the neighbor's neighbor left highly satisfied. On his way back home this neighbor met the man that lived beyond the far side of his house. They exchanged news, and the neighbor's neighbor praised Juha's fine rabbit soup.

When mealtime came again, Juha heard a brisk knock on his door. He opened the door to a man he had never met before. The man, hoping for a free meal, explained, "I am the neighbor of your neighbor's neighbor." Juha welcomed him in and sat him down at table. Juha went to the kitchen and brought out a large tureen. He set it in front of his guest, who lifted the lid in great anticipation.

Inside was boiling water.

"What's this?" the man asked, angry and astonished. Juha answered, "It's the soup of the soup of the rabbit, O neighbor of my neighbor's neighbor!"

* * *

Secrete has touches of the original HP's anise, almond, and woody vanilla; plus a dash of the jasmine and florals of Sensuelle; topped off with a bright tickling bergamot a la Midnight in Paris. It ends in a radiant pillow-soft laundry musk. All components smell good and work well together. Only they are very, very sheer.

If they make another Eau of the Eau, there won't be anything left but alcohol. But thumbs up for a beautiful whisper.

A less dark and sweet version of the original Hypnotic Poison (and I mean what I say: first composition, not current one), this scent offers a more dinamic, lighter, and modern interpretation of the classic and well known Dior from lates 90's. Even if shares similarities with it and its sucessor (HP-sensuelle), the vanilla is very well balanced with the white bouquet and the citruses at top remain present at the skin making this flanker more versatile IMO and very comfortable to wear all year round. Good longevity, low projection. Enchanting.

I had a chance to wear this fragrance today, thanks to a sample I received a few days ago with another purchase.

On me, this scent is sweeter and more subtle than the original HP, without the bitter note of the almond. It dries down to a gentle, floral and slightly fruity vanilla that still reminds me of HP, but is much less potent.

I found it to have good sillage and longevity, but I don't usually have a problem with this even with fragrances normally considered weak. If your skin eats up scents, however, it might be an issue.

In the end, although I enjoyed wearing Eau Secrete, I prefer to keep the bitter note of the original, so I probably won't buy a bottle. But I think that someone who likes HP but finds it a bit overwhelming would enjoy this version. It has the general feel of the original, but might be more approachable for anyone wanting a lighter version.