When Christian Dior launched Tendre Poison in 1994, it marked the brand’s first official flanker to the iconic Poison (1985). The name alone—Tendre Poison—sets the tone for its dual nature. In French, tendre means “tender” or “gentle,” and poison needs no translation. Pronounced in English as "TAHN-druh PWAH-zohn", the name forms a poetic contradiction: a “gentle poison,” something at once delicate and dangerous, soft yet potent. It evokes images of a pale green elixir held in a crystalline vial—sweet temptation with a whisper of risk.
The early 1990s were a time of cultural refinement following the excesses of the 1980s. The fashion world had begun to favor minimalism and lightness: sleek silhouettes, sheer fabrics, and an understated elegance that defined the decade’s aesthetic. Perfume trends followed this shift. The “power scents” of the previous decade—dense orientals and booming chypres—gave way to cleaner, fresher, and more transparent compositions. Green florals and watery notes dominated the shelves, reflecting a broader cultural desire for clarity, freshness, and modern femininity.
It was within this atmosphere that Tendre Poison made its debut. Dior, recognizing the shift, sought to reimagine the opulence of Poison for a generation that preferred whisper to roar. As Mirabella magazine observed in 1993, insiders jokingly called it “Diet Poison”—a clever nod to its softer, greener character. Marketed only as an Eau de Toilette, in both spray and splash forms, it was designed to appeal to younger consumers and to loyal Dior clients who found the original Poison too intense for daily wear.
Created by perfumer Édouard Fléchier, Tendre Poison is classified as a crisp floral-green fragrance. From its first breath, it exudes freshness—galbanum lending a sharp, green bite reminiscent of crushed leaves at dawn, softened by the luminous sweetness of mandarin blossom. Freesia adds a dewy transparency, airy and modern, while a bouquet of delicate florals unfolds with elegant restraint. Beneath this freshness, subtle undertones of sandalwood and vanilla create warmth and depth, grounding the airy florals without diminishing their clarity. The contrast between these elements—the brisk greenness against a tender creamy base—mirrors the tension within its name: gentle, yet with a trace of danger.
For women of the 1990s, Tendre Poison would have felt both sophisticated and approachable. It carried Dior’s heritage of glamour yet reflected the modern woman’s preference for lighter, more versatile fragrances. The advertising and presentation—set in tones of fresh green—conveyed purity, freshness, and a sense of effortless allure. The idea of a “tender poison” resonated with the evolving identity of femininity at the time: no longer defined solely by power or provocation, but by subtle confidence and quiet strength.
In scent, Tendre Poison interprets its name through contradiction: the sharp, green clarity of galbanum and freesia expresses its tendre side, while the creamy wood-vanilla base introduces a lingering, seductive undertone—the poison. It is a perfume that tempts through transparency, a whisper of danger wrapped in softness.
Within the landscape of 1990s perfumery, Tendre Poison aligned with the decade’s movement toward light florals but distinguished itself through its craftsmanship and Dior’s unmistakable refinement. Where others offered simplicity, Tendre Poison offered poise—a composition that managed to be luminous, elegant, and quietly intoxicating.
Fragrance Composition:
- Top notes: Brazilian rosewood, asafoetida, mandarin orange, galbanum and tangerine
- Middle notes: rose, freesia, tuberose, honey, and orange blossom
- Base notes: heliotrope, sandalwood, musk, and vanilla
Scent Profile:
To experience Tendre Poison by Christian Dior is to breathe in the tension between softness and strength, nature and artifice, innocence and danger. Created by perfumer Édouard Fléchier, this crisp floral-green fragrance reveals its character gradually, like the unfurling of a petal in morning light—at first cool and green, then tenderly floral, and finally, warm and languorous. Every ingredient contributes to this subtle balance, each note lending its texture, origin, and chemistry to Dior’s idea of a “gentle poison.”
The opening is fresh yet complex, a bright green shimmer that immediately intrigues. The first note—Brazilian rosewood—is unlike any ordinary wood. Once prized for fine cabinetry and instruments, this endangered material was chosen for its naturally rosy, slightly peppery scent, rich in linalool, a molecule responsible for its soft, floral-woody tone. It lends the fragrance an elegant polish, a natural luminosity that sets the stage for the unfolding greenery. Then comes asafoetida, an unexpected choice—a resinous material from the roots of Ferula asafoetida grown in Iran or Afghanistan. Though pungent in raw form, its minute use here provides a subtle animalic warmth, giving the perfume a faintly musky undertone that enriches its freshness rather than overwhelming it.
The citrus heart of the opening sparkles with vitality. The mandarin orange, likely sourced from Italy’s Calabria or Sicily, brings its sun-drenched sweetness—bright and juicy, with high levels of limonene and gamma-terpinene, molecules responsible for that vibrant, effervescent lift. The tangerine, softer and slightly more floral than mandarin, complements it beautifully with its own blend of citral and aldehydes, lending a gentle sparkle and transparency. These notes are framed by galbanum, one of perfumery’s most distinctive green materials. Derived from a Persian plant resin, galbanum is piercing, earthy, and sappy—its aroma molecules, cis-3-hexenol and octanol, evoke freshly cut stems and crushed leaves. In Tendre Poison, this note gives the fragrance its backbone: cool, green, and almost sharp at first, like the first breath of spring air. The interplay between natural galbanum and synthetic green aldehydes enhances this crispness, ensuring that the verdant top remains luminous and airy rather than heavy.
As the heart emerges, the floral character begins to bloom—lush but not overwhelming. Freesia, with its clean, dewy transparency, adds a sense of modernity. Because natural freesia cannot be extracted, its scent is recreated through synthetics such as linalool, beta-ionone, and hydroxycitronellal, capturing its watery, floral brightness. Tuberose, often from India, adds a richer, creamier layer. Naturally heavy with methyl benzoate and indole, it brings a touch of sensuality—softened here so as not to dominate, more silk than velvet. Rose lends timeless elegance; likely from Bulgaria or Turkey, its citronellol and geraniol content contribute a delicate warmth and powdery sweetness. Orange blossom, distilled from the bitter orange trees of Tunisia or Morocco, introduces a honeyed freshness through linalyl acetate and nerol, shimmering with light. Its connection to honey, a note also present in this composition, creates a soft gourmand accent that feels intimate and tactile, a natural sweetness deepened by traces of phenylacetic acid, one of honey’s aromatic components.
As Tendre Poison dries down, it softens into a cocoon of warmth and gentle sensuality. The heliotrope, known for its almond-vanilla scent, carries heliotropin—a powdery, slightly sugary molecule that evokes the comfort of sun-warmed skin. Sandalwood, likely from Mysore in India, brings a smooth, creamy depth through santalol, adding both warmth and structure. Dior enhances this natural wood with modern synthetic sandalwood molecules such as polysantol or javanol, giving the base a longer-lasting, velvety texture. Musk, now entirely synthetic, provides the clean sensuality of skin itself; molecules such as galaxolide and muscone round and smooth the floral edges, creating that soft, second-skin effect. Finally, vanilla, sourced from Madagascar, lends its lush, balsamic sweetness. Its main component, vanillin, is amplified by synthetic counterparts to heighten its creaminess and endurance, tying the entire fragrance together with a lingering, golden warmth.
The result is a perfume that feels effortlessly elegant and gently magnetic. Tendre Poison smells like fresh leaves brushed with morning dew, soft petals warmed by sunlight, and skin kissed with a trace of honeyed vanilla. It embodies contrast—the sharp green of galbanum against the plush warmth of sandalwood and vanilla, the airy innocence of freesia balanced by the quiet seduction of tuberose. In this harmonious duality lies its magic: Tendre Poison is a fragrance that whispers rather than shouts, tender in name and nature, yet with an undeniable undercurrent of allure—a gentle poison that lingers softly, irresistibly, in the memory.
Bottles:
Upon its release, Tendre Poison was available in a select range of Eau de Toilette formats that reflected Dior’s attention to both collectability and practicality. The line included a 1.7 oz Eau de Toilette Splash, designed for elegant ritual application; a 0.17 oz Eau de Toilette Spray Mini (limited edition) and a 1 oz Eau de Toilette Spray (limited edition)—both prized today for their rarity and charm; and the classic 1.7 oz and 3.4 oz Eau de Toilette Sprays, ideal for everyday wear. Completing the collection was the 6.8 oz Perfumed Body Lotion, allowing the wearer to extend the fragrance experience through layering—a hallmark of Dior’s luxurious perfume ritual.
In 1995, Dior expanded Tendre Poison into a full bath and body collection, deepening the sensory experience and reaffirming its place as a complete expression of refined femininity. This extension included a 6.8 oz Perfumed Body Cream, rich and velvety, that enveloped the skin in a lasting veil of fragrance; a 6.8 oz Bath & Shower Gel, which transformed bathing into a soft, fragrant immersion; and a 120-gram Perfumed Dusting Powder, a particularly elegant touch that recalled Dior’s mid-century heritage of luxury toiletries. Each product carried the same tender green hue and subtle golden accents, echoing the perfume’s delicate, fresh aesthetic.
Together, these items formed not just a perfume line, but an entire scented ritual—a way to experience Tendre Poison from morning through evening. The continuity of the bottle’s design, its verdant glow, and the graceful expansion of its range reflected Dior’s mastery of transforming scent into a lifestyle of beauty and refinement. The presentation of Tendre Poison thus mirrored its fragrance: graceful, luminous, and irresistibly feminine—a tender temptation captured in glass.
Fate of the Fragrance:
Around 2005–2006, Tendre Poison underwent a quiet reformulation and was introduced in a new bottle design that reflected Dior’s updated aesthetic for its classic perfume line. While the original 1994 flacon—designed by Véronique Monod—had embodied the soft, rounded apple shape of the Poison family, the reformulated version was presented in a sleeker, more streamlined bottle. This updated design retained the recognizable Poison silhouette but was refined to appear more modern and luminous. The transparent green glass remained, symbolizing the fragrance’s fresh floral-green character, though the hue was slightly paler, allowing more light to pass through. The gold detailing was softened, and the cap was redesigned in clear plastic with subtle pearlescent tones, giving the bottle a contemporary elegance while maintaining a visual connection to the original.
The reformulation itself reflected broader shifts within perfumery during the early 2000s. Changes in international fragrance regulations, the availability of raw materials, and evolving consumer tastes all played a part in altering the composition. Certain natural materials—particularly those containing allergenic components—were reduced or replaced with modern synthetic equivalents. The result was a cleaner, lighter version of Tendre Poison, preserving its recognizable floral-green heart but softening the rich base notes that once lent it warmth and sensuality. To some wearers, it felt more delicate and transparent; to others, it had lost the depth and texture that made the 1994 original so distinctive.
Unfortunately, despite its loyal following, Tendre Poison was eventually discontinued. Dior gradually phased it out in the years following the reformulation, likely due to shifts in market trends and the brand’s decision to focus on newer interpretations within the Poison family. Its discontinuation left a gap for admirers who had come to cherish its refined greenness and understated allure.
Today, Tendre Poison remains a beloved memory among perfume enthusiasts—a fragrance often described as the most graceful and restrained of the Poison line. Its combination of soft florals, tender greenery, and subtle warmth still resonates with collectors who seek out vintage bottles for their depth, complexity, and nostalgic beauty. Though no longer in production, Tendre Poison endures as a symbol of 1990s elegance—a “gentle poison” whose charm lingers long after its disappearance from Dior’s shelves.
BUYER BEWARE!
Beware of Fakes! Tendre Poison has been terribly faked. Here are some photos of a fake bottle and box that I had received in a large lot of Poison perfumes. I have found that the fake Tendre Poison boxes are imprinted with the same batch code "6F01" while the bottles have batch code of "7A03".
The screenshot below is taken from my original Christian Dior Perfume Bottles Blog, now defunct.
