Freak Show

[minnalavender]

A strange, disconcerting embrace… to some, alarming, and to some, intimately familiar: fig, pomegranate and cocoa bean with lemon, bergamot, vanilla, mellow honey musk, calamus and tonka.

I was a little nervous about Freak Show. I traded 13 earlier in the year because it just didn't do anything for me. I'm not much of a dessert-type foody scent lover, which is bizarre as I love to eat baked goods, and chocolate in all its guises - mole rojo here I come! I just don't want to smell like it that much. However, the other notes in Freak Show were too delicious to pass by.

In the bottle: chocolate fruit. Mmmm... but I'm not sure about the chocolate. Once it touches my skin it starts to morph. The chocolate nearly disappears, and I think it's the tonka that smells so peppery. The fruits and musk then begin to appear. By drydown I smell so good I want to lick myself.

I'm so glad I took a chance on the notes I love. This is a perfect fragrance for late summer/early autumn, rich and spicy and fruity - very reminiscent of Carnal (lovely fig), but with a smokier note. Mmmmmm. This and Montressor are going to be in heavy rotation during October and November!

Freak Show has incredible lasting power on my skin, and I'm a slatherer with other scents so it's an important positive feature for me. Ten hours later it still sends lovely wafts of cocoa, vanilla musk, spicy goodness up to my nose. Edited October 5, 2006 by Mattie

[midnight_aeval]

I'm not getting chocolate! What do I smell??

The Fig, Vanilla, and Tonka maybe? Whatever it is, the smell is addicting.

 

It's sweet, perfect for a foodie girl like me. I'm not sure why this decant was sitting in my "To Keep" imp box.. I didn't even know it was there! Now I feel like I have neglected it.

 

I think this scent would be great layered with almost any scent. It just seems like a well rounded blend that would play well with others.. I think I need to test this theory

[steffanina]

Freak Show-

 

In Bottle: Wild. A little fruity, a little softly spicy and foodie...can't think of what to call it.

 

Wet: A little wood-and-chocolate bloom, yummy and warm.

 

Dry: This is a nifty scent! Warm and spicy and sweet--there's a note of sweet powderiness that prevents me from sniffing at it too much because it grows cloying if I do, but it's nice all the same.

 

Overall: I like! (A little conditionally.)

[Dinerdulcinea]

imp: 1st sniff...fruit. 2nd sniff...COCOA!!!

 

wet: wood, cocoa, fruit. mmmmmm...

 

Dry: the fruit goes slightly candy, but the cocoa really grounds it. I like it very much.

[Emma2403]

I've first tried Freak Show when it was released, but didn't write a proper review of it. I remember I kinda liked it (which is unusual for anything with cocoa as far as I'm concerned), but ended up swapping it.

As I've won another decant now, let's try and review it.

 

In the bottle: strong cocoa with orange (maybe it's the mix pomegranate/lemon that makes me think of orange).

 

On my skin: cocoa, honeyed vanilla and behind… tonka. Tonka is bothering me (think: nausea!) as usual, but it's not too strong here. All in all, it's a very rich scent…

 

After a couple of hours: fruity cocoa… chocolate covered pomegranate or something. And still a hint of honeyed vanilla! The tonka disappeared and it's pretty yummy, really.

 

Verdict: I'm not one to wear cocoa-scents but I must admit it's the most gorgeous one I've ever tried. I might end up keeping the decant and wearing it once in a while, when I want something different.

[smallvoice]

I don't even know how to begin to categorize this one, but it is stunning! I love the cocoa, I love the fruits- the pomegranate from Swank became too fizzy and bright for me, but I love this mixture. The fig is brilliant with it and the vanilla is beautiful and it's really just gorgeous. I wish this one had caught my attention when Carnaval Noir came through town earlier this year! I leaned towards the flashier Midway, instead.

[cinderfallen]

This is pretty amazing! It's cocoa and vanilla and fig, right off the bat, but the bergamot comes into play, too. It dries down a warm, rich tonka and fig scent, with wafts of lighter fruit that zests things up.

 

ETA: I really amp the fig, and at times it's Fig Newtons, not fresh fig.

Edited September 9, 2007 by cinderfallen

[supremegoddessofall]

In bottle: Fruit, chocolate, and tonka.

 

On me: Almost all fig with a touch of pomegranate. The chocolate is almost completely absent. Not getting much musk, and no lemon or vanilla at all. My skin is actually eating it very quickly.

[jasmine]

The bright woodiness of this scent when I first applied it surprised me. Fresh on my wrist, this is a bright, warm, woody smell with citrus oils tossed lightly into the blend. Given the various possibilities for what "calamus" means (I love Wikipedia), I suspect that this is calamus the palm, and that might explain the woodiness.

 

The lemon and bergamot are easiest to pick out; the rest is a pleasant tangle of scent underneath, left by the fading woodiness. Half of the scent is a warm purple-brown, but the zingy yellow on top gives it life without making it confusing. This is a really neat fragrance.

 

Given a bit of time, the aspects of the scent start blending together. Something has started smelling a bit "cleaning fluid" about it, but I can’t really pick out which portion is the offender. The fig has showed up, and it gives a low, fuzzy body to the entire thing.

 

Now this is bergamot balanced on fig, each in equal proportion. Hmm. It’s not offensive, but it doesn’t particularly appeal to me. I would have liked this a lot if the initial woodiness had stayed.

[Aevalin]

Mmm this is really good. I'm getting pomegranate and cocoa, and maybe some apple. It's smooth and a bit smokey, really yummy. Plus it's got good throw...I'll have to hold on to this one and perhaps seek out some more!!

[Elemcee]

Freak Show, to me, is like Smut, but without the rampant sex. That's not a bad thing as it makes this oil warm and comfortable. I think I can detect lemon and cocoa, but mostly it's a very well-blended foody-scent.

 

As for the freaks, well, I suppose you could say that this isn't a conventional perfumes (but you could say that about many BPALs; that's why we love them, am I right?). It would probably be the choice of someone delightfully eccentric.

[nikkoblue]

I get cocoa, fig, tonka and vanilla out of the bottle.

 

On, I get cocoa and heavy fig with some pomegranate and something almost cinnamon-like. The fig/cocoa combo holds for about an hour, then morphs to fig with bergmot and pomegranate.

 

After about 2-3 hours, I get cocoa-fied wood (what is calamus? is that what I'm getting here?) with a hint of musk and spice. I like all stages, but this last one is best and in lasts.

 

This is a great transitional season scent, like fall or end of winter, I think....it's got hte dark cocoa and spices and wood but the brightness of the fruit really buoys the scent! nice.....

[hackess]

I get fig and cocoa laced with pomegranate at first whiff. No spice at all, no cloying vanilla. No tonka amping like mad, like it usually does. It's really quite nice!

[naeelah]

Ooh, this is fantastic. I think it's my new favorite, for sweet scents.

 

It has many of my favorite notes, but either many of them are lost on me or they blend so well that I can't pick them out. But it's ok, because I love the effect. This one morphs very little on me. Some of the notes fade or amp a little, but the overall character remains pretty consistent.

 

Wet, it's very strong on the coca. It has the usual sweet, candy-like chocolate scent that BPAL's chocolate note has one me. Combined with the tonka, it's very vanilla-y. This contrasts with a sharp citrus note, like lemon-lime. As it dries, it becomes more complex and a little bit spicy or prickly. Not like pepper or cinnamon, it just has a certain sparkle to it. The cocoa recedes a little and overall the scent becomes a little less sweet and candy-like, although the chocolate note is still noticeable. The citrus notes are the first to fade, but they do last through almost the entire life of the scent, and overall this has about average life on my skin. As it morphs, several hours after putting it on, I think some of the sweetness or vanilla-like quality returns. (It's probably just be that the tonka has the best staying power on my skin, so that's what's left after everything else absorbs.)

 

I recently tried biggerCritters, and this strikes me as a similar (due to the sweet vanilla vs. citrus quality) but less cuddly scent. biggerCritters is very cute, and this is more sophisticated.

[windzswept]

In the Bottle: Lemon, Vanilla and Chocolate with a little hint of musk and fruit.

 

On my Wrist: Vanilla and Musk, with a tang, unlike other chocolate scents this one has disappeared in preference to the Vanilla.

 

Later: Now the chocolate starts to come out, but it is tempered by something which smells a bit like cinammon, and there is still a musky smell. (In later wearings the smell has always been slightly different, but the chocolate has never appeared until about 2 hours into wearing it - which is good for me).

 

Overall: I love this and have taken to wearing it when I know I have a stressful day coming up at school, simply because catching a smell of it makes me smile.

[cranberry]

I’m starting to think that cocoa is one of those notes that fade with age. I’m trying to review my way through my BPAL box I just happened to grab Freak Show. This is a bottle from the original release, so it’s got a bit of age on it.

 

When first applied this is all sweetness – mainly vanilla and fig. I can barely smell the cocoa, yet I remember when it was fresh it was much stronger in the oil when first applied. Now there’s just a whisper there and it’s pretty much overpowered by the vanilla and fruit. I always preferred it after it burned off, but I liked that blast of cocoa too so I do miss it.

 

I can smell pomegranate now and lemon is there adding a bit of brightness but that’s all it does – there’s nothing overtly citrus. This has always been one I really enjoyed from the CN series. There’s a depth here that goes beyond vanilla and fruit – perhaps it’s the honey musk grounding this, I really can’t say how the rest of the notes play into this scent. As it wears, the sweetness backs off a bis bit and it becomes a bit woody. I’ve always associated calamus with a succulent green smell but maybe I’m thinking of something else. Anyway, this stage is delicious too.

 

I find this oil upbeat and cheerful. I can’t imagine being in a bad mood wearing this scent. Love it!

Edited September 9, 2007 by cranberry

[aleciarivas]

MMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... This was a frimp in a package a lovely forumite sent me...... OMG!!!! I'm totally melting....

 

I put it on and then forgot about it... Didn't notice it really at first... Then I turned my head to look away from my computer and caught this HEAVENLY whiff of something... It took me a minute to realize it was me!!!!

 

Pure vanilla musky chocolately goodness... Slightly spicey undertone... I can't even recall what this smelled like on me wet, since as I said I actually forgot about it!! But WOW!!!! And what throw!!!

 

I will DEFINITELY be attempting to hunt down more Freak Show!!!!!!! Wish me luck!

[The_Merf]

Argh, curse you citrus notes and your strength on my skin! When I put this on it is a really awesome fig/cocoa bean spice, but that only lasts a minute or two and then I am overwhelmed by bergamot. This basically becomes a chocolate and orange mixture on me, and while there are worse things in the world, since I had a sniff of the tantalizing complexity that could have been (all the spices and foodiness and tartness mixed together must surely be awesome), it makes me sort of sad that citrus does me in once again!

[dirtytrip]

Y'know, given that note list, I wasn't expecting what I got. For me, this is a fruity, festive fragrance (alliteration not on purpose). Fig and light chocolate, with citrus playing over that constantly. It lasts about four hours on me and although I'm not in love with this Carnival scent like I am Bearded Lady and Gypsy Queen, I am glad I didn't miss out on it. Worth a go!

[zankoku_zen]

Starts out as floral and ends as foodie. Foodie what, I don't know.

 

Freaky.

[alexandra]

I am but a noob and have seen very little bottle artwork but this is fabulous - proper circus strangeness. I really hope I love this.

 

In the vial: Like walking into a shop selling many scented candles, quite artifical. When I take another sniff I get past this to the orange, vanilla and musk. Only the slightest touch of cocoa. Not so sure about this.

 

Wet: Quite rich and deep, figgy tendencies. The tonka pops up I think. But still not in love.

 

Dry: A fruity round vanilla with musk hitting the nose first, rather festive. Also a bit musty: it makes me think of unpacking the christmas decorations after they've been in the attic getting damp and dusty. In my head I'm shaking out my mouldering stocking which still has pieces of satsuma peel in the heel.

 

And?...: Tis okay, but not special on me. I may wear it in the run up to Christmas (until my Yules get here!).

[heathercaley]

Oh man this is easily one of my top ten...:::droools..:::

 

Absolutly amazing!!

 

I didn't even know what I had lurking in my imp box until i decided to start going through it. I pulled out that bad boy and flew away to heaven.

 

In the imp, its a chocolaty muskyness. Not too sweet, not to musky. With a bit of floral perhaps underneath?

 

Once applied.. oh god.. a semi-sweet fruity chocolate with muskyness teasing me underneath it all. I've gotten a lot of "oohs and ahhh's" from this one.

 

It has great staying power too, and everytime i reach for something, I smell a fruity slightly vanilla, slightly chocolate scent wafting around me.

 

I am soooo not worthy!!!

[tura]

I'm still learning how to break down individual notes, but when I put this on, I instantly got chocolate and lemon. They felt like they were fighting on my skin, and I was getting this bitter undertone while it was still wet.

 

Once it started to dry, it got a little spicy and flirty. The citrus had mellowed (thankfully!), and I was left with what must have been a combination of the musk, fig, with a little bit of tonka.

 

After a while, it had turned deliciously warm and foodie on me. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists at this point, and was glad I decided to pick up a bottle unsniffed. Pretty long-lasting. I definitely think I will get a lot of wear out of this one.

[tartchef]

Oh goodness... I'm going to get nothing done today, not with both wrists smashed up to my nose. Freak Show is indeed freaky, but freaky-amazing. Like Mme Moriarty, the individual notes pop out from an incredibly well-blended base - I'm a sucker for tart fruit & deep smooth notes together, and the pomegranite/bergamot combined with the cocoa/tonka just kills me.... It's juicy, but not cloying; tart, but not sour; velvety yum but hard to classify as foody, exactly...

 

In short: Yes, please, and more again!

[alicia_stardust]

Freak Show is mostly cocoa and fig, with a touch of honey musk. The other notes add a depth and complexity to it, but those first three notes are the ones that stand out the most to me. This is really enticing, warm, and almost comforting in an odd way. Even with the cocoa bean it doesn't present as a foodie blend to me. Freak Show is another favorite of mine from Carnaval Noir.