Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
05/19/2023
Julipet
37 Reviews
Julipet
3
Spicy Fougère Spin on Midnight Poison
I have been meaning to write about this one for a long time, but kept postponing it because I couldn’t make up my mind about this fragrance. I tried Sultane 1001 Nights as a suggested replacement for Midnight Poison, and then it started a long Jeanne Arthes haul that doesn’t seem to end, lol.
By the way, the notes listed here seem to be off. This is what it says on my package:
Top notes: Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange
Middle notes: Egyptian Jasmine, Rose, Cardamom, White Fig, Juniper Berries
Base note: Tonka beans, Sandalwood, Patchouli
I still don’t have a definitive answer. It is different and similar at the same time. Sultane 1001 is clearly a spicy and citrusy fougère more than anything. It is a rather unisex fragrance, but sweet enough for me to wear. It is fresh and sparkly. Midnight Poison, on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma called in various sources a woody chypre, an amber floral, and oriental, while also classified as “extra-feminine” or “asexual,” depending on who you ask.
Yet there is something there, very similar between the two. That bergamot-rose-patchouli combo that I love. Of course, Midnight Poison is clearer, sweeter and moister, like a poisoned nectar, while Sultane 1001 Nights is fuzzier, spicier and drier, like the air filled with herbs. It’s like you smell the same rose bush in a midnight garden, but you smell the earth under it with MP, mixing the rose with moss and dew, while you smell the top branches with Sultane, mixing the rose with citrus trees and laurels that the wind blows in from other corners of this suddenly subtropical garden. After a day or two, the scent lingering on my clothes is almost undistinguishable from the residue Midnight Poison leaves.
It's like Sultane is a more masculine version of MP, with quite a lot of yang energy added - which might spoil the impression for some, while feeling like an improvement for others.
If you are looking for a dupe to MP, you are likely to be disappointed, because Sultane 1001 is definitely a different genre, albeit sharing a part of the DNA. However, if you are looking for something similar, something with an accord that reminds of MP, this might bring you much enjoyment, especially if you appreciate spicy, citrusy, unisex-leaning scents. It just so happens that this accord is exactly what I love about MP (hence, I see the similarity), but it's obscured by too much spices in Sultane (hence, not a like).
From all the things I smelled so far, Sultane 1001 Nights is the second closest to Midnight Poison, after La Belle de Russie. Unfortunately, YSL Elle and Perles de Lalique feel even farther and don’t work for me at all.
Sultane 1001 Nights seems to be discontinued as well, however, some sellers still have it in stock. I snatched two bottles, having to arrange shipment from the US. Those babies have been traveling more than I do! Europe-US-Europe at least. I'd say it was worth it. This scent is interesting. However, it's not a Midnight Poison replacement for me. Too spicy and masculine.
By the way, the notes listed here seem to be off. This is what it says on my package:
Top notes: Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Mandarin Orange
Middle notes: Egyptian Jasmine, Rose, Cardamom, White Fig, Juniper Berries
Base note: Tonka beans, Sandalwood, Patchouli
I still don’t have a definitive answer. It is different and similar at the same time. Sultane 1001 is clearly a spicy and citrusy fougère more than anything. It is a rather unisex fragrance, but sweet enough for me to wear. It is fresh and sparkly. Midnight Poison, on the other hand, is a bit of an enigma called in various sources a woody chypre, an amber floral, and oriental, while also classified as “extra-feminine” or “asexual,” depending on who you ask.
Yet there is something there, very similar between the two. That bergamot-rose-patchouli combo that I love. Of course, Midnight Poison is clearer, sweeter and moister, like a poisoned nectar, while Sultane 1001 Nights is fuzzier, spicier and drier, like the air filled with herbs. It’s like you smell the same rose bush in a midnight garden, but you smell the earth under it with MP, mixing the rose with moss and dew, while you smell the top branches with Sultane, mixing the rose with citrus trees and laurels that the wind blows in from other corners of this suddenly subtropical garden. After a day or two, the scent lingering on my clothes is almost undistinguishable from the residue Midnight Poison leaves.
It's like Sultane is a more masculine version of MP, with quite a lot of yang energy added - which might spoil the impression for some, while feeling like an improvement for others.
If you are looking for a dupe to MP, you are likely to be disappointed, because Sultane 1001 is definitely a different genre, albeit sharing a part of the DNA. However, if you are looking for something similar, something with an accord that reminds of MP, this might bring you much enjoyment, especially if you appreciate spicy, citrusy, unisex-leaning scents. It just so happens that this accord is exactly what I love about MP (hence, I see the similarity), but it's obscured by too much spices in Sultane (hence, not a like).
From all the things I smelled so far, Sultane 1001 Nights is the second closest to Midnight Poison, after La Belle de Russie. Unfortunately, YSL Elle and Perles de Lalique feel even farther and don’t work for me at all.
Sultane 1001 Nights seems to be discontinued as well, however, some sellers still have it in stock. I snatched two bottles, having to arrange shipment from the US. Those babies have been traveling more than I do! Europe-US-Europe at least. I'd say it was worth it. This scent is interesting. However, it's not a Midnight Poison replacement for me. Too spicy and masculine.
