Reviews of Bandit by Robert Piguet

I get a combination of perfume and sweat, sometimes the perfume reminds me of leather, other times soap. And I think I too am falling in love. I have three comments to make about this perfume, bearing on its time of birth in 1944. (a) It was released in wartime occupied France when soap was hard to get hold of, for some people with the 'wrong' ration cards impossible. That unwashed smell it releases and then covers over could have sent all sorts of messages, none of them to do with sex. It said 'outlaw' at a time when outlaw meant death.(b) If ever a perfume was designed to repel the Aryan occupiers while attracting Frenchmen, this is it. (c) I have never seen these comments or anything like them made before. Is there a politico-historical critique of perfume someone could point me to or have I just invented it?

I only own the reformulated EDP. It is a dark and brooding, dry floral/leather chypre that works well for me as a masculine scent. It can be a bit intense, so as long as I go easy on it, Bandit is quite exceptional, very unusual and captivating. I have yet to smell the vintage Bandit, but from what I understand the current formulation was the best that could be done given the fact that the original formula was built on perfume bases and specialties that are long since out of production.Top note: aldehydes, galbanum, bergamot, orange, artemesia, neroliHeart note: orris, jasmine, rose, carnation, gardenia, ylang, coconutbase note: leather, patchouli, myrrh, musk, civet, amber, oakmoss, vetiver.

Oh Bandit, how we were loving you in the Original formula EDT. A quirky blast of dark chypre flowers, and quickly drying down to an amazing leather that had us feeling rebellious, sensual, and brisk. This was compared to D'zing and was the more pure leather of the two. This was also compared to DK Fuel for Men and Bandit is more stark and unaltered leather. DK Fuel seems quite cheery in comparison. Lastly, this was also compared to Cumming, which proved to be a more earthy leather than Bandit. So back to Bandit, in my passion, I bought the reformulated EDP, and it's just not the same! I was warned, and took a risk. What's left in this version is a linear dark floral - I liked to call it angry flowers. To me it never dries into that glorious leather of the original EDT and has me cursing it. I have yet to see if my wife can sport this in some undiscovered way. We have a whole bottle to figure it out though! At this point, Bandit is no longer in the leather category for me, and Cumming, Nostalgia by Santa Maria Novella, Cuir de Russie by Chanel, and DK Fuel by Donna Karan are the superior leathers for me.

One could easily make a case for this being the embodiment of raffishness. The leather presence is less about sexual domination and machismo, more kidskin gloves and glorious floral decorations. It is not beautiful, but charming, not witty, but charming too. It has the camphoric, leather and floral hallmarks of Knize Ten, but Bandit is much less of an egotist than its Austrian friend. Despite its undoubted potency, it pulls its punches and allows its sheer extravagance to be the major talking point. I think I may very well be in love

I will wear Bandit forever. There is the newest formulation that carries accreditation on the side of the box confirming that it is the closest to the original version and it is amazing (EdP). Goes on sharp and rather vegetal with a floral mix, eventually morphs to a lovely, sexy, animalic (civet?) drydown that never fails to make my husband weak in the knees. I pity those who steer away from "strong" "perfumey" perfumes in favour of insipid chemical mishmash that is gender neutral. If someone doesn't like Bandit, they couldn't possibly like me. Step aside. By the way, the EdT has been discontinued due to multitudinous complaints about longevity. I had a sample of it and it was gorgeous as well, it seemed to be straight leather and then civet (my two faves), but gone in an hour. A previous reviewer listed a number on his inferior bottle of Bandit. The number on mine (the latest and most 'authentic' version is 77464). Everyone should at least try this masterpiece.

This is definitely a leather jacket or thigh high leather boot scent. I too love the absence of sweetness. I go for this when it's too cold for Chanel 19. I'm not saying they smell similar but they both suit me well. Bandit can be heavy in warm weather.'Dirtier' than vintage Cabochard...its almost-twin.

When I first applied Bandit, it went on my skin quietly enough. Ten seconds later...WHOOSH!! It's raw and rough and exhilarating. The leather is strong stuff, with the queasy note of dirty engine oil that normally sets my stomach on edge, only here I can't get enough. There's something meaty and savory going on here. Despite that, this stuff isn't unbearably butch, like I was afraid it might be. I can't pick out the listed notes of jasmine, rose, and neroli individually, but there is enough floral stuff softening the leather and vetiver to make this actually quite comfortable to wear. The experience of wearing Bandit is bracing, but never unsettling.

It's a miracle of absence: a classic (probably meant as a feminine, but in fact unisex) with NO fruit, NO floral, NO sweetness of any kind. I can just about imagine a guy wearing this, but it is so fierce that I imagine most men would find it overwhelming. Although others detect birch tar and generally leather-like notes, to me this is a sharp, delightfully bitter number, piney green, loads of labdanum, vetiver, and a prickly saltiness (that's the labdanum, I guess) which smells to me not quite of sweat but of some plant of the marine littoral - seaweed or kelp, perhaps. In short, an extreme version of Guerlain's Vetiver and closely related to the bitter green chypre of Eau du Soir. I am surprised that some think it too strong: I have to respray after about 4-5 hours (Vetiver and Eau du Soir last all day, by contrast). The drydown is softer and slightly 'prettier' than the top and middle, and I can often get a fleeting whiff of it on my wrist late at night in bed - heaven! Bandit is a stand-and-deliver highwayman of unforgettable charisma and unknown identity, always eluding capture. I may be the girl who runs away to live with the brigands!

Rough, forceful, coarse...and other synonyms from ".doc" - and I like :) A few days ago I read the thread about "dark chypres" and this is the ultimate IMHO. My bottle opens with a beautiful flowery something, but like 10 seconds thereafter the roughness comes through. At first I though wt* but I subsequently "got" it. This is how I like my fragrances - take no prisoners. Mine is the EdP of a formulation I don't really care to know. It just gives me that oomph that is needed in this wardrobe. It takes a while to get to the drydown, but when it does, I'm happy I got myself a bottle of Bandit. Give me more!!!

Real Bandit is fantastic and has been described at great length by much better writers than me. Everything they say about the real Bandit is true, it's the perfume that made me take interest in fragrance, an art I previously disregarded as the snobby cousin of bath oils.But if you go looking for Bandit be advised; it has gone through so many reformulations at various times that there is no telling what your bottle may smell like. The newest incarnation (the reference number is 77011 on the bottle I'm holding) is a pale imitation of the original, thanks in part to IFRA mandated neutering and I would not recommend it. Look for an earlier version for a better chance of satisfaction.

It is indeed potent. To say that one spray would be an overkill is not an understatement. Opens with a extremely "Sharp & Dirty" accord of Jasmine and Rose absolute spilled over used leather and grease. It''s powdery to the core and it shouldnt surprise you if it reminded you of Knize Ten as it contains the "exact" same accord of florals, Tar & leather, especially towards mid to drydown. Where it smells different to Knize is, Knize Ten always came across as a "green, powdery floral with a powerful leather accord" whereas, Bandit comes across as a "oriental, powdery floral with a powerful leather accord" define Oriental? well, think of it as a Knize Ten caught making out with CK Obsession Pour Femme EDP. It has tht Golden, Warm texture to it. But make no mistake, this is "The" leather fragrance. piece of advise, buy only decants. a 10 ml decant will last a life time coz 1 spray of this gem is all you need for 2 days in a row.

I dont know WHAT this smells like, I cant pick out any notes just yet. But I like it! I find it rather sophisticated, not Old Lady, but sophisticated and sort of think maybe in another 5 years or so I can pull it off. Its slinky black dress and sexy shoes with a smirk,ultra confident and devil may care. This aint no little girl's perfume, thats for sure.

Whew!!! What a lovely mess this is. I actually got this really cheap in the 3.4 ounce EDP (with the certificate of authenticity sticker on the wrapper) from someone who couldn't stand it. I am now the proud owner of EIGHT large bottles, enough to keep me happy for about ten years, lol.OK, so this is bold! One spray please, no more. I also recommend spraying it on your belly button. If you spray your neck, you will surely suffocate yourself.This is full on B**CH. It is noxious, and rude, and speaks loudly of, "Go ahead....I know you want to tell me I reek, but you just cannot do so, because you know you cannot get enough." I smell leather and tar. Also, strangely, I get scents of some sort of sweet cola smell. My husband is a roofer, and I swear I smell asphalt and tar mixed with the leather. The flowers are there somewhere, but they have been thrown on the ground and stomped on.This is not a scent for a child with pigtails and lip gloss. This is for the woman in the black fur coat who can pump a full clip into someone, then dump the body off the pier, all in broad daylight.Instantly, upon first spray, I feel total confidence. I am climbing the corporate ladder, stepping on the heads of those below me. No one will mess with me...think twice....if I smell this rude and truly adore it, I don't think you have the confidence in you to tell me otherwise...or else...................Bang!I know there were many reformulations of this. The Robert Piguet website does NOT list an EDT for sale. I think this might have been from whan Adrienne Arpel took over the scent, and I don't think it is quite so good. In 1999, the scent was taken back and reformulated once again, bringing it closer to the original. Go with the EDP, not the EDT. And give it a chance. Maybe spray your clothing about an hour before you put them on?I turn heads left and right when I wear this. The scents of today are so "pleasing" that they become somewhat boring. Bandit stands out in the crowd. Also, I highly recommend giving Youth Dew a try. An old scent, but a powerhouse as well, and not looking to please anyone.

I have only tried the reformulated EdP version, but I love Bandit. My skin seems to pick out white florals in most fragrances, so with Bandit I get a beautiful combination of jasmine and leather, mixed with tuberose and patchouli. It is the perfume equivalent of wearing a pretty floral dress with a vintage leather jacket. I don't get any of the sweaty, ashtray smells that other reviewers did, just a fragrance that is beautiful and reckless.

Oh my!!!!! What the f*^/# !!!! Can you believe this fragrance????Bandit is horrific. I've never smelled a perfume like this before.A green soapy opening blast, then long lived (about 3 hours on my skin) more soap and shearer's dirty underpants. Middle notes I clearly get are Lanolin and Urine. Seriously.The base is strong fresh sweat. Sweat precisely on the cusp of turning nasty; and soap, lots of it. There is a pleasant smooth creaminess to the base.Almost inexplicably (I suspect it contains pheremones) I am strangely compelled to go back and sniff this awful fragrance again and again...and againThere is something so intensely sexual, mysterious and addictive hiding under all the nasty stuff here...Worse still; the dirty bastard is making me horny.I feel so ashamed!!!!I don't think i could wear this as it smells exactly like sweat, soap, wool and nasty stuff, raw and brutal with no attempt whatsoever to prettify itself; but i definitely think Bandit is extremely unusual, strangely sexy, shocking and amazing.Maybe a tiny amount layered with something loud and pretty could work???I'm glad to have experienced it's awesome power.I'm giving it a neutral for now....

Bandit:Lovely: climbing ivy, elbow-length black leather gloves, gardenia perfume, orange juice.Questionable: smoker's cough, gasoline, dirty underwear, burnt tar.Together: lethal.

This is for the reformulated EdP version. It's just too harsh and bitter for me. There's really nothing I find pleasant about it. It's almost like the "bones" of the Original Francesco Smalto fragrance (mossy, musky leather), and seems to me to be a relic of a bygone era (or error). So, if you find this too harsh and want a softer yet more masculine version of it, try the Francesco Smalto (while it's still available and super cheap). I'll give it a neutral because I can see this as a matter of taste, not "good" versus "bad."

Bad tempered, bold, brash and sinister..... An exceptional and brilliant fragrance. Bitter green notes, leather, dirt and tar. Wear this and you'll feel like a Celtic warrior heading into battle.....

After spending a glorious year sampling fragrances to my heart's content, I have ended up where I began. Bandit is my true love, the sultry fragrance that is "best friends" with my dark side. I wear this on days when I need inner tranquility - and intestinal fortitude. The whipcrack of leather and galbanum is just what I need for "me" days. It is not for everyone, but if it is for you, you are so lucky! I admit to sparing my office mates by wearing Cabochard on most days, but some days just require a light mist of Bandit. Deal with it, people.

Bought EDP unsniffed, on reputation only. Amazing. It's a warm, strong, spicy leather with a liquor-like intensity. Deep and sophisticated but a little brutal as well. I was overwhelmed when I first put it on and thought I'd made a big mistake in purchasing it, but I'm falling in love by degrees as it dries down. A very special scent.

Although marketed as a lady's perfume, the topnotes strongly resemble the scent of Trussardi Uomo. However, after a few minutes the musk takes over and provides a more conventional style.Like so many others, this is a deceiver. If you test it, do not buy on first sniff, but give it some time to develop

I am having a bit of a leather jag at the moment concerning scents. Bandit EDP is not as good as the original, but it still kicks. Bandit has a quite floral opening with just whispers of leather. This leather note then steadily becomes more prominent in a subtle and clever way as the other notes gently bow down and accept that the Emperor himself is coming. This is a genuine unisex fragrance and one of the best leathers out there -- sillage is fine and longevity outstanding. Bandit is the real deal.

This one immediately reminded me of the time I was four years old and my mother gave me a spanking.You see, I was riding my tricycle around the block and should have stopped long enough to go inside and take care of my business. But I didn't and an accident ocurred.I rode on and on and on for hours, demon triker, as if somehow it could make this mess all go away. My mother called me in at dusk only to discover what I had done. After she cleaned things up thoroughly, she brought out her wooden spatula and broke it across my little butt.Does it smell just like my mother did in those innocent days gone by of the '50's? Or does it smell just like I did while peddling for redemption on my trusty red tricycle?Either way, this is not a pleasant scent...