I’ve been wearing Addict ever since it came out, but I never really came around to review it. I guess I took it for granted.
My review is for the 2002 original of which I’ve been lucky (and wise) enough to backup 2 100ml bottles as soon as I got my first and long gone one (September 2002) and for the extrait which I bought the same year for Xmas. As of now, it’s still found on Ebay, though getting harder to.
Addict embodies all that was happening in the turn of the Millenium. In a sense, it’s a scent capsule. While mainstream had a few good years left, Dior didn’t, and luckily Galliano had the opportunity to envision this and Dior Homme as his exit opus. Kind of vulgar, at times trashy, but always addictive, Addict is logomania, glossy bronzed skin, lots of naked skin actually, gloss, neon colored huge sunglasses and electronic music. Everything that was in and cool at the time, and part of what catapulted Dior to 21st century stardom.
Created by a younger Thierry Wasser, this is a vanilla rush; smoky, leathery, sexy vanilla.
The original opening (and this has been lost in subsequent reformulations) is a slightly bitter and green mandarin leaf (all the rage as a note back then) that avoids turning Addict into a gourmand as they are known today. Addict is a full fledged sweet floriental; rose, jasmine, night blooming cereus or night jasmine or queen of the night (take your pick!) that move in and out and all around the vanilla, which is beautifully dark like the Mexican variety, and is surrounded by a smoky veil that leads to adult creaminess. The sandalwood, which was always stated as Mysore is not; it would have been extremely expensive to use, not to mention almost impossible to obtain by then, but it isn’t screechy or sour; it’s creamy, buttery, boozy and it shows how it can feel like phantom Mysore when mixed with care and talent. I never got the oakmoss, but I did get the most creamy florals, in a most addictive way, which every once in a blue moon take a slightly plasticky feel. Weird, but it’s part of the magic that makes Addict a friend of Shalimar, Habanita and Lou Lou, each showcasing the dirtier side of vanilla.
Addict is a beautiful scent. It followed the success of Hypnotic, which took me longer to appreciate, and showed a somewhat younger and more energizing facet; it came at the right time, at the right place, and with the right name. Hypnotic was almond liqueur Femme Fatale while Addict was an intoxicating vanilla elixir, felt like a drug, and had a naughty first add which got banned months after its release in favor of a censored one. In a subliminal way, Addict was Opium for the new Millenium!
The forgotten extrait feels like the heart and base of the edp from the start, has a bit of powder in the middle, and lacks the sense of rush that the edp has. It’s deeper, very oily on skin with a deep amber color that stains, and lasts until you wash it of. Total powerhouse power for both!
As for current Addict, which I tried just for the sake of it, well it does smell like Addict (still) but it’s basically orange blossom and vanilla. The green opening tinge is gone, as is the smoke that surrounds the vanilla, and the sandalwood feels very ‘Le Labo Santal’. Not the worst reformulation out there, but it’s definitely not Addict(ive). It would have worked better as a flanker.
Top Notes
Heart Notes
Base Notes
Rate
Collection
Souk
Classify
Notes
