Black Annis

[Innocuousmold]

... Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

All the listed notes are ones that are okay-ish to me in other blends, but together it's just too strong for me. The vetiver is sharp and the licorice smell is strong. This is perfume that can definitely be masculine or feminine, but either way it's not for me.

[melrose]

I figured I would wash this off immediately. I hate the smell of licorice/anise and vetiver tends to overwhelm everything else on me. I have little experience with civet.

 

My god, I love this! First on, it smells like aftershave my father wore. On drydown, there's no hint of licorice or vetiver. I also don't get anything that smells like lichen.This is incense, earth, and musk.

 

Dare I say Top 10? Color me gobsmacked.

[sunstone]

Got this as a frimp in Sunlitgarden's most recent order.

 

In container: ANISE. Delicious.

 

Drying on skin: Still a lot of anise, but there's something woodsy underneath. That was the first word that came to mind, "woodsy"...When I wrote that I hadn't read the official description yet.

 

Several minutes later: A scent like blackened wood emerges. Sunlitgarden tells me this is vetiver. There is also musk.

 

Eventually, the anise calmed down and let the other notes come out. I get a gentle whiff of earthiness (the cave lichen and oak leaves) underlying the rest. It's a pleasant plant-y scent to me, because I don't know the tales of its namesake. If I did, I might be more wary.

[SlySionnach]

Imp: Anise. And something...old smelling.

 

Wet: Thank god for anise-amping skin! Really afraid of getting too much civet here. Smelled it once and it was a smell I could forgo from now on. Also getting vetiver and the oak.

 

Drying: And there it is: the first whiff of something like cat pee. Civet did this to me the first time I tried it and I had to wash it off. This time, it's not nearly as strong so I may make it to the dry stage! The anise is still making itself known loudly.

 

Dry: I don't know if it's because I put so very little on (very afraid of the civet!), but the cat pee has faded and left this anise-on-oak behind it. I can't tell if it's all oak or oak and lichen, but it smells like the woods.

 

Verdict: Not a big bottle, for sure. In fact, this imp may last me a lifetime - as well as any descendants I have if they're blessed/cursed with my skin chemistry.

[catalyst]

I like this. It seems very masculine to me, so I'm surprised by how many women like it, and how it's created for a female creature.

 

At first it's a dark forest full of decomposing branches and oakmoss but with an undertone of anise. After about five or ten, I'm getting what I have to call tobacco leaf, even though it's not in the notes. I think it's the moss combining with the anise. I'm not getting any civet at all, as far as I can tell.

 

My verdict is that it ends up as tobacco leaf with a hint of cologne, whatever the notes started out as. The imp is a keeper, but I don't think I want a whole bottle of it.

[Quillifer]

I don't know what it says about me that I absolutely adore this

 

I was attracted to it for some odd reason that's not very clear to me, except that I'm a keen hill-walker and climber, an angry feminist supporter of all things witchy. Well I guess that's enough reason right there! I was wary about the civet because I think I disliked it in Debauchery, and also of "damp cave lichen" which sounded rather mouldy. But it has vetiver which is always a staunch friend to me so....

 

And here she is. I intended to sniff all my imps of this order but Annis grabbed me immediately and I had to try it on.

 

In the imp, I get is aniseed. Like aniseed balls but less sweet and very enticing.

 

Wet, I get a gorgeous smooth dark chocolateyness, - kind of the air of that smell without the foodyness, if that makes any sense.

 

And then very quickly the scent just has me in its grip, so complex and so intoxicating that I find it almost impossible to describe any notes. The smell seems to get straight into the back of my mind, bypassing the more analytical front part almost completely.

 

But enough waffle.

 

Dry-down: Aniseed, a kind of animal greenness (I guess it's civet but it's entirely good to me), something like skin-musk. Also the smell of an old house where someone dries flowers, brings in interesting stones with moss on that they find on walks, and likes to eat dark chocolate. If they offer you something to eat, you say yes, and you know it will taste amazing. I guess they do also dress in old tweeds that some people might say could do with a bit of an airing.

 

Enticing, animal, strongly idiosyncratic. I'm in love

Edited October 31, 2012 by Quillifer

[waternight]

Imp: Anise! And something dark and spicy.

Wet: A loooooooot sweeter than I was expecting, considering the notes! Strongly anise, though there is also something cool and minty to this - damp lichened cave walls indeed. Not getting vetiver. Possibly some oak leaf. Strong throw!

Dry: Strong, sweet anise. Slightly spicy. Not my style.

[ProfessorXH]

Received a frimp with my latest order, and, SWOON, I am enraptured.

 

In the vial I smelled a little of black licorice, but not sickly sweet. And something dark and musky.

 

Wet: Spicy, Oaky, a little peppery.

 

Dry: I smell like the gorgeous insides of a lovely humidor, like rich and heavy velvet luxury. It smells like a pirate scent but without the salt and the rum. It is a dark and heavy smell but it wraps around with a smooth slinkiness. It has a wicked throw and amazing staying-power on me. Definitely one to wear on a cold winter night. There is not a whiff of tobacco in here, but for any woman or man who has adored the smell of a great cigar box after the cigars have been removed, Black Annis is a MUST HAVE!

 

I am adding the bottle to my wish list. It joins Eat Me and Redoul Honey on my 5/5 list!

Edited January 19, 2013 by ProfessorXH

[fufu_berry]

In the imp: Oakmoss (guess that's the oak leaf), very light and cologne-y.

 

On wet: A little bit of moss and anise. It's very light, which was surprising, but knowing my skin chemistry and how it manages to make crazy things smell light and sweet and normal things (looking at you, vanilla!) ghastly, it makes sense.

 

Drydown: Anise and a light cologne (which I think must be oak leaf, since oakmoss is a common cologne/fougere ingredient).

 

Dry: Tobacco coming out, and a little bit of the warm earthiness I usually get from vetiver. This is nice, but it's not moving me much.

 

After a while: I'm still not sure what civet smells like, which was one of the reasons I wanted to try this. This is definitely nothing like the rancid smell of Chanel No. 5, which is what I associate with civet, but that may just be the combination of other things in that scent. I'll probably hang onto this for now and see if I get the urge to wear it again.

 

ETA: This seems to be getting really sexy - I guess that is the civet effect? Very nice, I probably will wear this again when I am looking for some attention.

Edited January 28, 2013 by fufu_berry

[yewberry]

I like anise (anise seed and star anise and fennel and just about anything anise-y). But this goes pure NyQuil on me. Darn.

[ccelaya]

Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

 

Wet- The anise is strong. The only scent I smell

 

On Skin - the anise dries and becomes sweeter. It smells like licorice candy. As it dries the civet musk comes out, making the anise scent subtle.

 

There are subtle woodsy scents that I enjoy. It settle very nicely.

 

I may purchase this one.

[MadameGorgon]

Never in a bazillion years would I have chosen this scent. I don't like licorice and musty/dirt type scents are usually not my thing. But it smelled quite intriguing in the imp, so on it went.

 

Well... I'll be damned. This is really quite amazing and I think I may love it!

 

It reminds me alot of How Doth the Little Crocodile, which I also enjoyed. It has the same herbal freshness mixed with oakmoss.

 

But where Little Crocodile was playful, this has a kind of sexy, animalic undertone that must be the civet. I most certainly do NOT smell cat pee. Just something lurking underneath that is like a sweet/sour true skin scent.

 

I must say, I am completely shocked by how much I like this scent. I can't stop sniffing it!

 

It doesn't change much from imp to skin. The anise is assertive and fresh and keeps this from feeling "dirty". The oakmoss and vetiver are grounding and reinforce the outdoors feeling, and the civet gives it a little salty umami quality that rounds out the bottom and adds more than a little sexiness. Way way way in the back, I'm finally smelling a bit of mineral, which must be the "cave lichen".

 

In a way, this scent reminds me of the goal of Japanese cuisine, which (as I understand it) is to present a balanced meal touching on all the taste sensations and senses. This scent is balanced in that way by including animal, vegetable, and mineral.

 

While this scent will not be for everyone, it would definitely work for either a man or woman. It's powerful enough to wear with a business suit, fresh enough to wear on a hike, and sexy enough to wear on a date.

 

I will definitely be using up my imp to the last drop, then probably putting this on my list for a bottle purchase! So glad this is GC!

[theredkilt]

This is a dark broody concoction! I get sweet anise rounded around the edges with vetiver and something else damp smelling. I associate this smell with witches brewing potions in their spider-web laced cauldrons.

[Magycmyste]

Ok, I'm going to go light on the application on this one, since those notes don't appeal to me all that much.

 

In the imp: Very dark floral, almost woody.

 

Wet on skin: Went for a dab on the inner elbow, and it soaked in almost immediately. Still very dark.

 

Dried down: Pretty much the same as above. Very vetiver-y.

 

Throw: None. I can barely smell it in my elbow, but maybe that's an issue of how little I put on/ Or that I don't normally test scents on that body part?

 

Verdict: ** Not for me, I think.

[PumpkinGuts]

Before the drydown, this smells utterly wrong on my skin... a damp sweetness that could only be the lichen does not play well with the other notes. Once that horrific phase has ended, it's all smoky vetiver and anise. As a licorice fan, I find it quite nice. I don't see myself using it much, but it was fun to try!

[annemathematics]

two things of significance to this review happened to me in 2013. the first is that I finally read Grant Morrison's Doom Patrol run which is incredible and amazing and so much fun and I recommend it to the entire universe. the black annis "cameo" in it had me cheering.

 

second was the bpal website update, that allowed to even "stumble upon" the fact that they have a black annis scent! a perfume about a cat lady with a tree house and a cave fort?? made of scent notes I adore?? (I like anise and I'm very much Team Vetiver)

 

this was an imp purchase that became a bottle purchase that I was reminded of again with a recent lab frimp. thank you, lab!

 

I put this on last night and settled in to watch the documentary, McQueen and I, about the immensely gifted fashion designer. I can't imagine a better scent to huff while looking at mcqueen's clothes. each is beautiful in an unconventional and challenging way, powerful, slightly filthy yet impeccably tailored/blended. this scent is a masterpiece. odd and unique but quite refined. not for everyone but its existence a true gift for those of us who enjoy this sort of thing. it's brilliant and possibly misunderstood by many and just not the cup of tea for others still. but I dig it, and when I passed on my original imp to a friend (male, this works on fellas too!), it converted him to the ways of bpal.

 

thank you beth!

[Nicnivin]

Dark, sharp, and malevolent. This is exactly how I imagined Black Annis would be, and it did not disappoint at ALL.

 

Upon first application, the sharpness of the civet and vetiver took centre stage, but those faded quickly as the oak leaf and anise shone through.

As it dried, the anise softened and the overall perfume became what I could only imagine would be the scent of dry, lonely bones languishing in the blackness of a desolate cave.

 

This is the scent I will wear when working with Morrighan, once leaves have fallen from the trees and Annis herself is walking the woods once again.

[Veronica]

I get all anise with a hint of vetiver in the background. Stomach churning, sickly sweet licorice.

[freyasfae]

I got this as an imp in an Ebay lot and most of the scents were spicy/incense scents which I learned are not for me. This one passed the initial test of I don't flat out hate it, but I decided to revisit it today, and oh boy, this is smoldering, sexy, wicked fun. I won't be getting a bottle yet, but I am saving the imp for next October, my favorite month of the year, where I will wear it when the first cool wind starts coming in, hinting of the winter and watching horror movies.

[LizziesLuck]

Frimp from the lab! Not sure I've ever tried anything with civet before, I'm interested to see what that's like on me.

 

 

 

Wet: Dark, sweet. A little cologney on me at first. The anise comes through, but I'm really not sure where the sweetness is coming from - almost smells like benzoin. The civet it reading as musky on me, it quite a pleasant way.

 

Dry: This is dark and lurking, sinister and gritty. Just enough sweetness. This is surprisingly wearable, and I like it. Just the right amount of anise. I love the feel of it. Currently undecided about whether or not I would wear it enough to seek out a bottle. It is like nothing else I have in my collection. Tempting.

[joopjoop]

This was a frimp - yay lab!

I'm intrigued by this one as I am a big anise fan but don't really know what to expect from the other notes.

In the imp I smell anise and what I guess is the lichen? It is very masculine to my nose but let's give it a whirl.

 

Wet: wet this is pure black licorice - the crumbly almost bitter kind you buy in Europe. I can smell wood behind the anise after a few minutes. Really interesting. I like this stage a lot.

 

Oof. On the dry down it becomes sort of ‘animal-y’ for lack of a better word - is this the civet? Like an animal with a thick musky slightly oily coat dipped in anise with just a touch of vetiver. At this point it is hovering just on the edge of smelling like BO, although it doesn't tip over into it. It’s an intriguing scent for sure, but sooooo not for me.

 

At the 2.5 hour mark it starts to give me a headache and so I went ahead and washed it off - or tried to - this one lingered and I had to give it several scrubs to get rid of it entirely. I think civet is a skin chemistry fail for me sadly.

 

I appreciate this scent in theory - it is very 'witchy' and primal smelling - it reminds me of some of the images and archetypes from the Wildwood tarot - but it is just not something I want to smell - or smell like.

[roseus]

Got this as a frimp, and as a general rule I try everything that comes my way. But I will not lie I am afraid of how dark this sounds.

 

In the imp: Mostly licorice-y anise and something that is wet and earthy. Probably the lichen and oak leaves.

 

Wet: Anise wafts on up, very bitter with smoky vetiver alongside it. The wet earth scent remains underneath.

 

Dry: Similar to wet but more settled. There is something very animalistic which is likely the civet.

 

This scent is super not me, but I feel all the more courageous for trying it.

[Convallaria]

The opening is sweet anise. It becomes soft, borderline vanilla-like after a while. I think there is some civet in the drydown, but the scent itself is very weak. Overall, on me at least, it comes off like they decided to run with the foodie component, not the concept character.

[Kate Hagerty]

(Apologies in advance for the not very experienced review, but I had to review my favourite.)

EDIT: The following review was for an imp I got early 2015. The bottle I have just purchased (September 2016) is sadly not as wonderful. Far more aniseedy, far sweeter, and a lot of the lovely dark herby aspects seem to have vanished If my imp had smelled like this I wouldn't have gone for a bottle. I don't know if it just needs aging, or if the formula has been slightly tweaked, but I'm really sad about it. No longer my favourite.

I love love love this. So much. I've been carefully rationing my little imp for months so it would last until I can buy a full bottle, which I will finally be doing this week. (My first full-size bottle purchase. *hearts*)

I'm not very good with identifying notes, but I would agree with those who have said it's sort of dark and herby, especially at the start. In the imp it's very nearly unpleasant, some kind of strange poisonous plant that's been crushed underfoot in the woods, with a hint of something animal (I guess that's the civet, I don't know what civet smells like.)

But as soon as it's on the skin it changes, the plant isn't poisonous, but medicinal, and the animal is a tame, protective beast. There's definitely some aniseed at the start, as the name suggests, but on me at least that fades and blends with the darker mossy aspects pretty quickly and becomes a lovely whole that I can't pick that scent out of.

 

On me as it dries it turns into this soft, sweet scent, barely there, that reminds me of the aftertaste of old fashioned aniseed candy. I don't use much, just a dab on my throat and wrists, since it's mostly for my own benefit, so I'm not sure about staying power if you used a more "normal" amount, but I've found that on me at least, while the initial sharper scents fade pretty fast, the sweetness, and just the tiniest hint of the animal, lingers all day, close to the skin, and is lovely and comforting.

That said, it's a scent I wear to feel strong, a little bit dark, a little unapproachable. It's not something I would wear to a party (Chaotic is my go-to for that )

Edited September 20, 2016 by InkyPetrel

[Mermaid-on-Land]

Ok so I loved this. What can I say, I love anise as a note This does contain a note that has a men's cologne feel, I'm not sure what it was but it reminded me of an aftershave or something. I think it was the oak moss. I didn't mind so much though, because the anise was just so nice, and the cologney smell was right near the application points. The throw was pretty much dark anise. I liked the earthiness of the cave lichen in the background. The strength of the throw was fantastic, I could easily detect it all day, and it lasted at full strength for a long time. It was like all that I loved about Absinthe (strong anise scent, unique) with none of the drawbacks (no throw and fades super fast on me)! The anise in this is not quite as aggressive as in Absinthe, it's more like it's from a slightly older spice jar, almost powdery/dusty feeling. Something about 10 minutes in gives it a warming quality to the scent, I think maybe the civet? The idea of the civet made me nervous (it tends to not be popular) but I didn't have any problems with it here, it goes almost warmly minty for a second, then back to the earthy anise. Anyway, I loved this scent, I think it's up there in my favorites! The color feeling is dark blue-purple black. Oh, and this lasts insanely long on me. I woke up surrounded by anise scent the next morning