Black Annis

[clover]

BLACK ANNIS

Vast talons, foul with human flesh, there grew

In place of hands, and features livid blue

Glar'd in her visage; while the obscene waist

Warm skins of human victims close embraced.

 

The blue faced hag of the British Hills. She lives in the Dane Hills, Leicestershire, in a cave called Black Annis' Bower Close, which she dug out of rock with her own iron-strong claws. Dozens of huge cats prowl the Bower with her, and it is guarded by a great pollarded oak in which she hides so that she may catch lambs and small children to eat. She carries her victims back to her cave, where she flays them alive before devouring them. She drapes their skins on her guardian oak to dry. Her skirt is fashioned from the skins of her prey, and her bed is a high-piled bed of their bones. Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

 

 

Alright, I admit...I'm a little disturbed by how very me this scent is. I mean, she's a hag! And a child devouring hag, at that. But really...anise, vetiver, moss and oak leaf? Those are a few of my favorite things.

 

Upon first application: Not what I was expecting! Very smoky, ashy...vaguely reminiscent of Djinn. Downright ember-y.

 

After a few minutes: And the anise comes out to play! I love it when that happens.

 

A few minutes after that: It's all licoricey, with a very earthy background. I can only just detect the slightest bit of civet, and really it's just sweetening up the anise a little.

 

Conclusion: It's fantastic. And what it really reminds me of is trick or treating on a dark Halloween night...candy and fallen leaves and that earthy Autumn smell.

 

Definitely will need a big bottle.

Edited September 16, 2007 by Shollin

[Scylla]

I have to say, having been familiar with the legend of Black Annis, the thought of a perfume oil named after her SCARED me, and I NEVER would have ordered it! But I'm very grateful that it was included with my most recent order so I could try it.

 

In the vial: Civet and oak moss, I thought at first. But then I looked at the actual description and I guess it's actually oak leaf and damp cave lichen. This scent definitely brings to mind the dank, darkness of a cave.

 

Wet, on my skin: The civet definitely came out more once it hit my skin. And I am so not a civet fan! I also smell the anise, although faintly. The dank, dark cavelike smell is definitely predominant. I have to laugh, though, because it reminds me of the smell of my elderly recluse neighbor lady's house from when I was a kid! At least it doesn't smell "foul with human flesh!"

 

On drydown: Didn't change much on drydown.

 

Interesting interpretation of a scent, but it's hard to imagine anyone actually ordering a big bottle of this one.

 

ETA: Except for clover, apparently! Sorry, clover!

 

EDIT: Merged with existing thread --Shollin

Edited November 10, 2004 by Scylla

[Falathwen]

I was so horrified by the description of this one that when it arrived as a freebie I tried it with much trepidation, even though I knew from the notes that it would certainly not be a charnel house scent. Sometimes I am a bit too influenced by words! For instance, this blend was well worth trying. Wet, it is very licoricey, my husband immediately took a liking to it when he sniffed my wrist. As it dried the woodsy notes came up…more bark and earth than green. Then I began to notice a bitter note, which smelled like, well, cat pee, so I assume that I am one of those folks who do not enjoy civet.

[ChupaChup]

Hee hee, I was scared to try Black Annis, too . The cave lichen and civet didn't really appeal to me, but the lab gifted me with an imp of this so I had to try it. Well, what do you know, it's surprisingly pretty . At first, it reminds me of India Bouquet (without the initial curry smell), that must be the anise. I get a nice powdery smell underneath with a tiny touch of earthyness. Later on the earthiness gets a bit too strong for me but I'll bet it would be terrific on a guy. The civet is really mild, no cat pee odor for me, it's just kind of sexy.

Edited November 19, 2004 by ChupaChup

[lixolux]

everything clover said plus i think i detect some eucalyptus too - its very light and cave like but dark and sinister - im one of those folks who adores what the civet does in a scent on my skin so its realy sexy and deep too - dont be scared of black annis its really really lovely if you love licorice!!!

[TheDarkMother]

I got Black Annis in a swap with Chupa, and I have to say, I am a little intimidated about it. I forgot that it had civit, which I think is the scent that turns to (ahem) feces on me when I wear it. I'm hoping that the other scents drown it out.

 

In the Bottle: Chocolate and black licorice. I hate black licorice candy, but I simply ADORE the scent. Mmmmm!

 

On Me: The moss really comes out a lot more than I thought on my wrist, which smells slightly floral, but the strng scent of chocolate and black licorice comes out everywhere else! My wrist smells slightly medicinal and herbal, while all around me is the mouth watering scent of chocolate and licorice.

 

I smell sex and candy!! And so far, it isn't a scat film either. In fact, there seems to be no hint of civet, if that's the one that turns on me like that. Just in case though, I won't slather it on until I've tested it for a few hours. I don't want that toilet smell creeping up all over me. Ewwww.

 

No, no toilet smell, just yummy, sexy, and mouthwatering. Big bottle of this!

[JazzieCazzie]

Eeeeeeeeeergh. I am not going to be verry creative here. ... Got the imp as a freebie and figured what the heck ...

 

In the BOTTLE: Licorice! Anice I guess, and wet earth after the rain.

 

Applied to my wrists.

 

WET: Very interesting, dark and kind of leathery yet also outdoorsy. VERY male I think.

 

DRYDOWN: Nope. Just not me. Too strong. Too male,. Too dark.

 

I forgot to mention this somehow ... I wondered if it was just me, finding it so ewwwwwwwwwww on my skin so I stuck my wrist in my poor daughter's face and asked her "do you dislike this on me as much as I do?"

 

Her response: "it smells like old man."

Edited December 23, 2004 by JazzieCazzie

[Shollin]

First sniff: Green and feral and … weird. Slightly sweet, maybe?

 

Wearing: Yeah, it’s definitely a little bit sweet in the topnote, a dry summer sweet… the thought of the witch’s candy house immediately came to mind. Dry and sweet. I certainly wasn’t expecting dry and sweet from civet and vetiver, but my first thought in the vial was licorice, and now I see there’s anise in here too. It’s a weird scent – despite the sweetness there’s something not quite right, something forbidding and eerie. And, twenty minutes later, I know what’s not quite right. The civet has asserted itself with a vengeance, and now I smell like… civet. Which hates me and always ends up as a thick black animal-in-heat funk no matter what it’s paired with. Oh well – this is why I try everything on.

[silverangel]

very very not me. The vetiver and civet are all I smell and on me it's kind of...I don't know if rancid is the word but just all bad! And the anise sits behind them mocking and saying "i'm going to add this sickly sweet note to turn your stomach!" I really wanted to like this, but it wasn't meant to be.

[kimmer]

I've had this imp for awhile and every time I've sniffed the bottle, I put it back down. In the bottle, it's dark and musty.

 

I swiped a bit on my wrist and cautiously sniffed. Hmmm.. Anise. I shouldn't be surprised. On me, Black Annis dries down to a soft, licoricey scent, a little dusty perhaps.

 

Considering the number of scents that I absolutely love, I'll pass this one on to someone else.

[closedacct]

Vetiver strikes again. I actually love civet. I love oak leaf. I was open to the idea of anise...but really all I can smell is the vetiver. Or vertiver or however you spell it. My body just takes that note and runs with it...turning it into a weird lemondirt kind of smell...Grrrrrr.

[Reinaluna]

Black Annis, To all of the Civet haters like myself, this is the first blend that I have tried that the Civet does not take over. In fact I cant really smell it at all. I do smell a lot of Anise and Vetiver but its not too strong. This blend reminds me a lot of Saturn and it is a mostly masculine blend to me.

Edited February 1, 2005 by Reinaluna

[dreamingjune]

I wanted to like this one. I really did. This is one of the only scents that I can honestly say I don't like.

 

At first I was excited about the vetiver and oakmoss. It wasn't until I had it on for a while that I just couldn't shake the notion that it smells somewhat of bad breath. There is a certain bitterness to it that just rubs me the wrong way. Almost like something rotten. It could be the civet, or it could be a combination of the civet and anise (which I generally like).

 

All of that said I could imagine this working on someone whose body chemistry doesn't emphasize the sweet or musky scents.

[xoe]

For me black annis was mainly anise and something moist. I guess the moist was the cave lichen. The scent isn't nearly as frightening as the description. It is definitely unique!

 

Several hours after applying, I was going to some friends' house and just didn't feel comfortable with the Black Annis. I layered some Xiuhtecuhtli on top of it and it is absolutely brilliant! A fantastic combination.

 

Black Annis is an interesting blend indeed.

[sheepzeit]

I am not familiar with what vetiver or civet smell like, and I'm sort of glad that I didn't read these reviews before I tried Black Annis.

 

Even before I opened the imp, I was scared. I had not heard of the hag myth before BPAL and was instantly fascinated. How deliciously scary! And I do believe that this scent does an EXCELLENT job of capturing my image of her. It really does smell dark, dank, and Earthy... this scent is pure evil! Just smelling my wrist instantly brings an image of a dark, hulking cave hidden behind a huge skeletal oak tree. I see the tendrils of mist drifting down the hillsides, the pale fingers lacing with the naked branches.

 

I am not getting the licorice jumping out when I smell this, or the cat pee (so I guess civet works with my body chemistry?). In fact, I like how subtle the licorice is for me. It gives it a slightly more softened edge to this when it could purely be dirt and lichen. Amazing.

 

I get goosebumps when I smell this. I love it, but I think I need to reserve it for cold, misty, brooding days.

[leapylees]

I really thought this was going to be great. I love earthy scents and the idea of an anise-y, licheny perfume intrigued me. Unfortunately it was not to be. Very quickly it dried down to anise and cigarette ends (I ususlaly love smokey scents but not this). I have no idea what civet smells like, but I also got the, erm... faecial note.

[Witch's Dagger]

Black Annis

 

Black Annis and I disliked each other at sniff one, but within 5 minutes, we were in love. There’s nothing like it, though it is reminiscent of the not-yet-maybe-never available Obeah. I should note, however, that vetiver and civet are two notes that I like a great deal, and anise has either been a "NO, EVIL!" or a "YES, MORE!" note for me. Here it started out as "NO, EVIL!" and turned into "YES, MORE!"

 

Origin: This was a gift from the lab! Thanks!

 

Preconceived notions: It sounds like a wonderful, dark, animalistic forest scent.

 

In the vial: Wow, it’s a lot sweeter than I thought it would be, and there’s an anise or sassafras note in it, as well as what I think are some white flowers. This is not at all what I was expecting, and I’m not sure I’ll like it. I hope the woods, herbs and civet come out a little more (yes, I like civet in some things).

 

On me: (8:10)

Ick. It still smells like sassafras root beer. Oh, there *is* anise in this. Hmm... I want less sweet anise (it’s very much like black jellybeans, not so much like the spice used in cooking). The civet is there, but the anise is pulling out its less desirable notes, and the same is true of the vetiver. Sometimes, vetiver has a nice leafy, dark green scent, sometimes it’s more metallic. Here, it’s all very sharp metal. Interesting, but so far not for me.

 

In 5 minutes: The scent hasn’t changed, but it’s growing on me anyway. This is the blackest cave with a black bear inside. Very dark. Very powerful. Not pleasant, by any means, but worthy of respect. In that manner, it reminds me a lot of Obeah, which I like more... Still, this is much more mysterious than even Obeah, and certainly darker in a more feral way. I could see this having to do with spider webs set up to catch the unwary. Very knowledgeable, very cunning. And the anise *is* giving in a little more to the civet, growing spicier and less sweet. That helps a lot.

 

In 10 minutes: This is a very powerful scent. I can’t seem to focus on anything but how it smells. It continues to grow on me. In fact, at this point, I’d say I love it, and that I would rank it up as one of my favorites. I’ll have to compare it more directly with Obeah - they are very, very smilar. I think I will like Obeah more, if only because it doesn’t have that sharp sweetness. Still, the advantage to this one is that it’s available. I would use this for rituals of Darkness (which tend to be my specialty, at least at this point in time).

 

In 45 minutes: This is much softer and spicier, yet still quite dark and mysterious. It seems to be settling into my skin.

 

Overall: This seems to be a blend of Mystery and Obeah. Despite the fact that neither of them seemed too popular (Mystery was called “lemony” and “licorice”. Obeah was said to be too masculine, too animalistic, too dark.) they are two of my absolute favorites. When Mystery was discontinued, I ordered 2 5 mls (or rather, bought one from the lab, and one from a forumite). I’m still waiting for Obeah to arrive.

 

The anise in Black Annis makes it even darker than Obeah, in my opinion, but it still has the power and animalism of it. This scent is extremely complex, and definitely worth having. It’s going on my big bottle list. If nothing else, it can be a stand in for either Mystery or Obeah, since neither of them are available right now. Beth, thank you so much for including this one in my order!

[antimony]

This is a tripple threat...

 

Vetivert overwhelms on my skin into something far too strong and dusty.

Civet scares me, it smells like cat butt, which is fitting.

Anise and I just don't get along.

 

All together, it smells musty and sweaty and licorice-y. In that respect, I've got to say, the scent captures the idea of "evil witch hag" extremely well. That's just not what I want to smell like.

[shelldoo]

ummm well this went horribly wrong on me...and horribly would be an understatement, at first it smelled of dirt, which was ok enough, but then it smelled of dirty dirt, not good, not good at all....swaps

[tinyvulture]

this is really layered. first i get a kind of wet, earthy, mildew smell. like sniffing a tree with moss growing on it, after it's rained. then i get more of a shoe leather smell. then after awhile, i am surprised by a nice, sweet smell emerging that reminds me of baking pies. that's probably the clove. there's still a hint of the other stuff in the background but the sweetness becomes very strong and sticks around for a long time.

[surf-tormented]

Much like Laudanum, this went weirdly root beer on me. Not licorice but a more sickly sweet root beer, like fake root beer scent.

 

Combined with civet and oakmoss, it is just to clashy for me. It reminds me of some of the Voodoo Blends, high on the sassafras note.

 

Again, it smells like I put two clashing perfumes on thinking they would smell great, but they don't. There is just too much going on and no harmony on my skin. Yipes.

Edited March 16, 2005 by Madame Nyx

[nephthys_lvx]

I got this as one of the freebie imps in my order this week, and when I opened it, my first impression was pipe tobacco! I sniffed it a bit, then set it aside, sniffed a couple of other imps, then went back to it. It's weird, I can't put this one down. I got up to do something else and caught another whiff of it, I'd gotten a little on my finger when I put the cap back on, and now I can't stop sniffing my finger. I love vetiver and civet, and this is a dark dark dark scent that is totally intriguing. I might wear it a couple of days (not to work, tho, too dark for that) and see if it becomes a 5 ml want. I think it probably will.

[Macha]

So I can wear vetiver, and I can wear civet, and I can even wear anise.

 

But Black Annis has taught me I can't wear them all in the same perfume at the same time.

 

It's a well blended scent, and I even liked it at times, but there was something about the combination of these three that created an 'off' note that nagged at me. I ended up not enjoying it, at all, and was rather glad when it faded.

[Nepthys]

At first this was pure anise, which has never been a favorite scent of mine. But it quickly morphed into the smell of cigars and leather. This smells exactly like a certain breed of old men; I had to actually wash it off because though not unpleasant, I seriously felt as if the ghost of an old man was right next to me wherever I went. Incredible.

[luxuria]

This..is..so..unbelievably..creepy. I'd wanted to try it but never saw myself ordering an imp- well, problem solved, I got a gimp of it

 

I smell anise and earth in the imp. On my skin, it stays the same way, but a weird sort of..rotting musk smell comes out that very VERY VERY VERY much reminds me of decrepit elderly. The anise just enhances that effect. The imagery that this inspires is frightening. Quite appropriate for a hag, I must say! This is one of those "scent experiences" that the lab is so good at producing, but unfortunately it's not a pleasant one.