Illamasqua • Freak • Fragrances

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NS10 on 10/22/2012 7:28:00 AM more reviews by NS10

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

I bought Freak in the new Christmas exclusive range, it's a 30ml bottle which is really great because it's so much cheaper than the 75ml. The fragrance itself is definitely a heavy scent but floral and feminine at the same time, someone here has described it as 'vintage' and I totally agree, I think that is the perfect description and is probably one of the main reasons I am in love with this perfume. I would purchase this again but most likely as a 30ml as the original is very expensive.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ArizonaAngel on 8/18/2012 11:10:00 PM more reviews by ArizonaAngel

Age: 36-43   Skin: Normal, Medium, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Hazel    

Ok I am terrible at describing fragrances! But this is not exactly what I was expecting but turns out I like this scent. Honestly it strongly reminds me of Leslie Blodgett's "Santa Barbara" but this one is more intense, slightly different. I love heavier scents and this one fits pretty well with me - not something totally unique but it is a "safer" evening scent. It has a "cold" feeling to it, if that makes sense at all. I can wear this one year round actually. It's pricey, and certainly isn't my go-to night out fragrance, Bottle design is amazing! I would buy this again.

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mellouise on 7/23/2012 7:45:00 PM more reviews by mellouise

Age: 30-35   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Blue    

This was sprayed on a very ill and reluctant me in Selfridges during a miserable winter. I didn't catch the name of the perfume, just that it was Illamasqua. Surprisingly, it cheered me up immensely, it made me feel like me again, more confident, grounded and was comforting.
Fast forward to April, and it was still playing on my mind. I returned to Selfridges, and explained it to the SA. She gave me a sample, and it was everything I remembered it to be - warm, relaxing and not fruity or light.
I love it - the last perfume I felt this way about was the original YSL Champagne. It is just right for me. I look forward to buying the full bottle.

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SwedishGirl26 on 6/21/2012 12:09:00 PM more reviews by SwedishGirl26

Age: 30-35   Skin: Sensitive, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Fine   Eyes: Green    

i did own "Freak" by Illamasqua. But swapped it. Amazingly cool bottle indeed. But I still much more prefer this "Champaca" by SPACE NK. Both Freak & this scent is made by the same nose: AZZI GLASSER. The scents are very similar, but this one from space nk smells, in my own humble opinion, much better. PLUS it lasts longer. Is more unique. And best of all = is cheaper. If you haven't got the ££-money for Freak. Try this for less. :) PS: i'm not *in any way* trashing FREAK. I just happen to prefer this one, by the same nose, amazingly talented Miss Glasser <3 .

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*TOP REVIEWER* raspberrysorceress on 6/4/2012 6:51:00 AM more reviews by raspberrysorceress

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

This really does smell a bit freaky. I received a sample when purchasing something from Illamasqua online, and I sort of wish I never did because I like it so much. I love individual, odd, quirky fragrances. I like to smell original and unlike anyone else. It's the sort of fragrance that's so unusual that it keeps you guessing, keeps you wanting more. The sort of thing you smell on somebody in passing and then contemplate for a few seconds whether you should go back and question the person as to what they were wearing. I think it's got a deep sense of seduction about it. Seduction, mystery and allure in the middle of the night are all things come to mind when I smell this. It's so thought provoking. I've never felt so philosophical about a perfume before but this really stands out to me. The staying power is pretty decent, still lingering on my clothes days later. Love the packaging and the marketing of it too. (I adore those purple shades and hues) This is definitely the next perfume I intend purchase.

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valeria1025 on 5/9/2012 1:38:00 PM more reviews by valeria1025

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Dark, Neutral   Hair: Brunette, Relaxed, Coarse   Eyes: Brown    

I like "different" fragrances if they work with my body. This is a weird one, but in a good way. I can't spray too much because then it becomes quite overpowering, but if applied effectively, it lingers throughout the day and has a crisp/clean scent with a hint of something darker/musky. I can't go into the notes at all because Ive never smelled the majority of the ingredients, but I do like this perfume. I use it when Im feeling a bit more daring or if Im bored and need a bit of a wake up call. While I do like Freak, Im not sure I would repurchase unless I could find it somewhere cheaper.

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*TOP REVIEWER* MalibuMands on 3/13/2012 8:04:00 AM more reviews by MalibuMands

Age: 25-29   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

FREAK applies with a crisp tang [maybe there is a hint of mint?] that has a slightly salty, almost coppery, undertone to it. I suspect that the perfumers are trying to mimic blood and I have to say the result, though it sounds iffy, is actually enjoyable. This effect lasts for about ten minutes at most, after which it sweetens up with something that I can't place, but reminds me slightly of coke.

The 'coke' leads to the floral heart of FREAK, where it fully develops into something jammy and rum-like, with a splash of burnt orange. I think this is the davana; I've never smelt davana before, but people describe it as fruity and alcoholic. Davana's main use is in higher end perfumes as it enhances the wearer's natural perfume, so the overall impression of FREAK appears to be slightly different each time that I've tried to sit down and write out a review. I'm also not overly familiar with any of the other floral notes so I'm not sure which is which, but everything gradually becomes warm, peppery and reminds me overall of white floral blends like those found in Michael Kors Very Hollywood. After the dramatic opening notes I was surprised by the sweeter warmness in the heart scent notes and was initially disappointed, but quickly came to appreciate that the softer heart does make FREAK more wearable.

After a hour or so a faint wisp of smoked woods and musky spices develop, and hides the sweeter jammy notes. The star note in the base of FREAK is rich and earthy, which I believe is the hemlock. The hemlock seems similar to patchouli, but I find patchouli too heavy and cloying, whereas I don't have this problem when wearing FREAK. The hemlock gradually overtakes the floral notes one one, so after a few hours the base notes are all I can detect.


Scent notes; Black davana, opium flower (poppy), belladonna, poison hemlock, datura (moonflower), queen of the night blossom (night-blooming cereus), frankincense, oud and myrrh.





FREAK was made for evening wear, but I did happily wear it during the day over the colder months, as although it is a noticeable fragrance I don't find it cloying or irritating. But admittedly now that it is lighter and starting to warm up, I stick to using it for special occasions because I find it a 'statement' fragrance and a bit too much for day to day wear.

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*TOP REVIEWER* ilymed2 on 3/6/2012 4:04:00 AM more reviews by ilymed2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Neutral   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

Familiar with and like most of the notes, loved the concept, so I thought this fragrance was a no-brainer. The smell attracts and repulses me. When spray it, I cannot stop sniffing my wrists! Have trouble picking out individual dark notes, although I do catch whiffs of synthetic, masculine musk-cologne with an unique metallic opening. Within 30 minutes something powdery, fruity/berry, floral sets in. Initially it seems male and female fragrances have been clumsily pushed together making something….well….wearable. Great longevity and silage. The feminine essence comes out on top after dry down; too bad it settles almost generic. End result is not terribly unique, certainly not sophisticated. I do admit reaching for it when I'm in an odd sort of mood. Can only see this as a cold weather scent. Bottle is lovely, even if it takes up a bit of counter real estate. I go back and forth over whether I would have purchased if not for the bottle and fantastic marketing campaign.

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gionnetto2 on 2/25/2012 12:04:00 PM more reviews by gionnetto2

Age: 36-43   Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Neutral   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Freak is a very strange perfume and does, indeed, deserve its name. It isn't heavy and stinky as Poison but it isn't light and fresh like Sunflower. All I can say is, whenever I smell it on my skin, I keep trying to want to figure it out - and I can't. Indeed, like a freak. A freak isn't necessarily something ugly or heavy, it's just something unusual and hard to classify, which is exactly what this scent is.

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Bexicle on 2/24/2012 9:38:00 PM more reviews by Bexicle

Age: 19-24   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Hazel    

I can't work out if Illamasqua is a genuine makeup artistry company or the result of an entrepreneurs capitalisation on high end beauty. Evidence is pointing to a bit of both here.
Products that were made in china, although the quality of the makeup is undeniable - but don't people also say that about coastal scents? People finding half decent suppliers and making a brand stand to gain a lot of money, look at the success of Lime Crime. Illamasqua is a joint venture between theatre makeup company Kryolan, and entreprenuer Julian Kynaston.
Illamasqua's Freak perfume smells warm and floral-ly, not freakish at all - it's like Cacharel with a hint of smoke. It smells as if you would expect Lucille Ball to have done, vintage. It's longetivity isn't great 2-3 hours maybe for me.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Brunneria on 2/11/2012 5:57:00 PM more reviews by Brunneria

Age: 44-55   Skin: Oily, Fair, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I was bought this as a present by my partner, who loves the scent - and luckily it stays fairly true on me. We both like it, but there is absolutely NOTHING freakish about it.

(On me) it is a softish, slightly sweet, slightly woodsy floral. Nothing dark, purplish, goth or dangerous about it at all. I am spraying it on at breakfast time and use about 6 squirts, 2 to wrists, 1 to hair and the rest aimed randomly at my clothing. That is about twice as much perfume as I would use if I were spraying another scent. Freak just about lasts the day but it is never strong enough for even the most strenuous perfume hater to take objection.

The bottle is gorgeous, the snail sooooo sweet, and it lives on my dressing table in the base of its original box. But (scents always have colour in my mind) it is a lilac or light mauve coloured fragrance, nowhere near the dark aubergine or blood red that it (and the advertising campaign) would like it to be!

So, while I like it as a light day fragrance, there is nothing about the smell which justifies the advertising visuals.

A bit disappointing, really, considering the Illamasqua brand image. Up until now I have always been impressed with the quality of their product, but since the named notes that are supposedly used in the fragrance are rank, toxic and frankly not something I want to put on my skin, I can only assume that either they have substituted synthetic and innaccurate smellalikes, or they have used such miniscule amounts that the smell is lost under the lighter sweeter notes. Obviously, that doesn't impress me with the 'authenticity' of its 'freakishness'.

The bottle is 75mls, which is huge, and the price/ml is fairly standard, but since it is twice the size of an average bottle, it is also nearly twice the price. I was actually shocked that my partner had spent so much! It is a good thing I (quite) like it, and I will wear it regularly (for him), but won't repurchase - it simply isn't an interesting enough scent.

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*TOP REVIEWER* TaniaRides on 1/21/2012 7:47:00 PM more reviews by TaniaRides

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Green    

I wasn't expecting this to be too 'freaky,' as it's still a pretty mainstream perfume, but I actually do think that it's quirky enough to be interesting. It really does smell like a dark floral on me, and the frankincense, myrrh and oud give it this sexy, incensey-woodsy undertone. I could see this being a floral disaster on some people, but it works really well with my skin chemistry (which is a surprise, because florals are usually overwhelming on me). It smells dry and incensey with dark, sexy florals <3. The staying power is great and, of course, the packaging is gorgeous. I'm really happy with Freak :)

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perfumegirl on 1/20/2012 1:43:00 PM more reviews by perfumegirl

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

at last a name I can pronounce, interesting fragrance I love it and gorgeous black bottle, others may have put the notes,waiting to buy anther one,Love it and it is different from other fragrances.

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*TOP REVIEWER* EmbalmerBabe on 12/16/2011 1:38:00 AM more reviews by EmbalmerBabe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I finally got my mitts on a bottle of "Freak". Sephora.com sold out in a blink of an eye on the first posting. It finally came back into stock, catch it fast as it's limited edition & online only. The pricepoint is a little unnerving, pretty much cost about 100.00 with taxes included.
It is made in China, which for the price tag I thought for sure would be produced in France. Let me start off with saying the presentation of the perfume is stunning, from the packaging to the bottle it is truly unique and beautiful. This would make an excellent gift, provided that the recipient enjoys the "juice". The presentation makes the box and bottle a true vanity showpiece.
I am not a whiz at describing fragrances,however I have to say I am let down on this one.I shall elaborate, I was expecting something different, something more edgey and alluring. It's heavy and wintery that is for sure. Far too heavy for day time and for spring/summer. This is a winter fragrance in my opinion. This could get very cloying and overpowering in warm temperatures. I am getting a bit of "aftershave-ness" and a dark floral quality, with burnt bitter powdered oranges. This is a little "grand-ma-ish". Smells a bit like an old rotten perfume that has turned that expired shade of antique yellow. It has a slight acrid property to it. Not a repurchase or signature scent. I really wanted to love this. =(

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*TOP REVIEWER* sassykzt on 11/13/2011 7:41:00 PM more reviews by sassykzt

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Blond, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Blue    

I received this as a gift from a dear friend in the UK weeks before the US release. The bottle itself is unique…toppled at an angle with a silver snail sneaking it’s way up......combines timeless classic design with unexpected features.

I’ve been wearing it for a few weeks now-- it’s somewhat of a sweet floral fragrance. Not what I was expecting at all with a name like "Freak"! All the hype that preceded it's debut would lead one to believe this would be a dark, mysterious, sensuous "witches" brew with notes of black davana, opium flowers, belladonna, datura and poison hemlock.

A powdery orange flower and firewood note ia at the opening. which quickly morphs into a very enjoyable floral blend of poppies, rose. jasmine and a honey accord-- there is definitely a sweetness here!!! Maybe a hint of a lily note coming in and out. The flowers develop, expand, but they don't turn into a cute fruity floral. The incense peeks through at the end on me and it doesn't over power the floral background.


Does Freak live up to my (and probably countless avid perfume fiends) expectations? Sadly, no.It's marketed as unisex but it was much too floral on my BF and my son. But it's still a very likeable, floral fragrance for women. Sillage and longevity are great!

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bacardibelly on 10/28/2011 11:58:00 AM more reviews by bacardibelly

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

I don't often post on fragrances, but I had to make an exception for this wonderful new perfume that has just arrived for me... I bought the fragrance and the gift set [Datura lipgloss, queen of the night pigment and hemlock nail varnish - new reviews of them to come!!] and I'm addicted already.

The bottle is gorgeous - an art deco with a twist. Love that it sits on it's side... and I've noticed it balances perfectly. The silver snail sliding up the side is a lovely little addition... Really remind you that it's a Freak of Nature!

The scent is deep, floral on first application and then smoothly transcends to something warmer, less distinguishable... and it's definitely unisex, my husband translates the scent completely differently. The oud is a great base note, really helps to give the scent a wear time of 8-10 hours which is great. I was on Prada original before after 3 hours it fades completely.

Price point? Perfect - 75ml is very generous and the £59 price tag makes it a perfect gift price too I think. But it's all the imagery that really had me sold, harking to Illamasqua's roots of dark, heady night-time makeup.

And you have to watch the promo video on Youtube.com/illamasqua. Love it!

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*TOP REVIEWER* BigEars on 10/28/2011 9:20:00 AM more reviews by BigEars

Age: 44-55   Skin: Other   Hair: Other   Eyes: Other    

'FREAKAS?'
I know, I know, this review will get me shot down as many people will buy into the extensive hype of this fragrance. But, I want to be as honest as I can and just review the juice if I possibly can. Here goes:
What you have got here is a floral folks.
First a word about the bottle. it is a beautiful dark coloured 'squarish' bottle with a small silver snail atop. The edge of the bottle is cut off which while it looks edgy and pretty, will not stand up on your dressing table/vanity very well. The juice is said to be a mix of poisoned flowers and supposed to be very dark and gothic - hm well, if you find tuberose gothic and strange well fine, but I don't. There is not even that rubbery note that you find in AG for instance, which is quite strange. But I digress. I do not get belladona and such, but there is some lily and as it dries down I can smell the black hemlock found in OJ Woman. There is also myrrhe and the kind of amber base found in Light Blue. That said it is interesting, as it starts out really fresh and goes much darker on my skin. It kind of reminds me of the new Piguet/DH in that it has a Fracas edge but imo, if you divorce Freak from the hype and this is hard to do, given that it comes at you from every angle, artwork, box, bottle ad etc, whatya got is a pretty tube floral, not very original and not as freaky as Fracas edp. Should have been called 'Freakass'. if you want gothic go for OJ Woman. Sorry for long post.

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