Bandit

Bandit is a straight-up old-school leather chypre with attitude. This isn’t trying to be pretty or crowd-pleasing — it’s for someone who doesn’t really care about that. Uncompromising, a bit rough around the edges, maybe even slightly aggressive when it needs to be. Right from the start, it’s sharp and green. Galbanum hits hard — bitter, almost harsh — then that dry, rugged leather comes in, backed by a mossy base that keeps everything grounded. And honestly, it really does smell like a weathered bandit — the kind hiding in hedges, waiting to ambush someone. There’s something raw and a bit dangerous about it. Just to be clear, I’m talking about the 1999 version you can buy in stores — not the vintage stuff. If you’re into scents like Paloma Picasso, Magie Noire, or Aromatics Elixir, you’ll probably get along with this. I already love that style, so for me it was an instant yes. Not easy, not for everyone — and that’s exactly why it works.

This is excruciatingly vintage smelling. I got the sample set because I wanted to smell Fracas and this one just sticks out so much. I cannot make out a single note but all I know is that this resembles the smell of cyber sex by Filippo Sorcinelli. It has this very very specific male sweat smell, I know men whose sweat smell like that and this is it. It can be sexy but only when you want to masturbate I guess, cannot see myself wearing this. Also as far as sweat smell, this isn't the worst. Additionally it does smell like the ultimate chypre (for me) - Chypre Palatin by MDCI. I guess it might be middle ground between cyber sex and chypre palatin. Interesting for sure.

if u hate this and are recommending people commodity or byredo or phlur.............. why even try this if you need floatie devices to help you appreciate earthy moss scents. thats how u know this is good. when the byredo girls cant handle it. i have a bottle of american perfumers chypre noir made by rogue perfumeries creator and its identical maybe just a bit more masculine. theres a slight softness that almost smells like bananas to me in this and i wish the AP one i have had that going for it but i dont need both tbh

I’m usually not one for chypres or oak moss heavy frags but wanted to try Bandit to see what all the hype was about- sure it’s a little pissy in the opening but IMO not nearly as animallic as it’s made out to be and is not off putting at all but rather beautiful?

ugh this is so dank, dark, dreary, and reeks of an old perfume that didn't respond to resuscitation efforts. Miles away from anything anyone would want to smell like, I guess you could call this Bandit because thieves...well, stink? ;P Whatever. I would recommend exploring the Commodity lines for their Moss - or Moss instead, something unoffensive and more smoothly blended that showcases green, natural notes that blend in a more curiosity-inspiring manner. Bandit is classless and tired. I would also explore Phlur's line, and Byredo's line for a more complementary blend. It didn't elude me that this is the preferred perfume of the pentultimate tasteless, classless woman on earth: Camilla. Nuff said.

I somehow ended up scoring three bottles of vintage Bandit EDT, the old black-and-yellow label ones, so I’m now sitting on roughly 300ml of pure witchcraft. They’re all splash bottles, so I decanted some into a Tom Ford atomiser like a civilized Bandit enjoyer. Honestly… I can’t believe it took me this long to finally try this stuff. Bandit in vintage EDT is glorious: a dark, mossy green that still manages to be fresh, sharp, bitter, and unapologetically leathery. Zero sweetness with an attitude which I adore. Think French Lover, vintage No.19, Grey Flannel, but Bandit looks at all of them, smirks, and quietly wins. It’s greener, meaner, and somehow feels more complete. Compliments? Yeah… no. Not happening. People don’t walk around praising a moss-covered leather whip soaked in galbanum. And honestly, that’s perfect. This is strictly for those of us who like our greens feral and our leathers unsanitised. And even though I’ve now got enough Bandit EDT to last me until the next ice age, I suddenly want the vintage EDP as well. Because of course I do. And yes, if a deal pops up, I’ll pounce like the unhinged collector I clearly am

Bandit is one of the all-time great leather chypres, paving the way for other masterpieces in a similar vein such as Cabochard. Sadly, I have not had the opportunity to sample a vintage Bandit, but the modern formulation, to me, smells absolutely phenomenal. It opens with a distinct bitter-green galbanum and clean citrus, made bright and fizzy through the inclusion of aldehydes. This soon settles into something more subtle and soapy, complementing brilliantly a green, earthy heart of oakmoss. The leather in here is not distinctive in the way leather accords usually are today, instead it is incredibly refined and classically French. This perfume is astoundingly good. Germaine Cellier’s masterpiece lives on over 80 years later simply because it is so genius. Bandit is a top 10, dare I even say top 5, all-time chypre perfume.

It’s sharply aldehydic, cold, like a hard soap, green, dry, with a powdery rose. After a few minutes, I catch a translucent, powdery-ceramic iris, with old damp woods and a hint of red pepper, almost like Chanel 19, but more aldehydic. As it dries, a subtle jasmine slips in alongside the dry rose and iris. The overall effect is dry, rough-edged and austere, yet soft and powdery on the skin, almost like velvet. There’s also a vegetal, translucent, slightly bitter note that lingers for hours. It’s interesting.

not for zoomer fuckbois. my skin was rejecting the scent, giving me an annoying rash. still worth the itchiness.

To me its more than gagging its like death

Antaeus, actually, feels more neutered. Of course, I like it and appreciate it — it’s very nice. Sparkling, dirty, fougère. But it recalls specific fragrances, those aromatic fougères, that classical style — perhaps slightly more simplistic, more predictable. Maybe due to its sparkling freshness it also resembles something else aromatic. Maybe Aramis. As I understand it, this is the only kind of chypre I accept — being a brash, dirty fougère of the kind found in the openings of Kouros or Portos. Ultimately, my bottle completely loses the wall-of-scent claws over time and leaves a rather feminine scent, like the drydown of Nobile — but probably even less masculine, which has started to become a problem for me.

“Cellier infamously dedicated Fracas – a voluptuous tuberose scent aimed at ‘femmes’ – to the beautiful Edwige Feuilliere, while she promised the butcher Bandit to the ‘dykes’.” Well, whatever, I don’t vouch for the historical accuracy myself. But the point is, Bandit is very dark and leathery and animalic, not conventionally feminine, especially for its time (1944). And that’s awesome. It’s good honest stinky fun. Yes, there’s a brief moment, less than a minute really, when you smell fresh, piercing galbanum and bitter-green wormwood by themselves – but they’re quickly joined by a rich, meaty, stanky-ass leather, a generous helping of cigarette smoke, and ink-bitter oakmoss. Bandit does seem similar to Dusita’s Le Sillage Blanc, a leather chypre inspired by the older fragrance, but where Le Sillage Blanc has a warm ylang-ylang haze and a fair amount of resin, Bandit is resolutely sugar-free. I like it much better. Le Sillage Blanc smelled a bit like it was straining to be ladylike but drowning in cigarettes. Bandit has no intention of being a lady. And I suspect it has more leather relative to tobacco than Le Sillage Blanc – I get more rich, tasty brown notes, almost like the crust on a good steak, which balance out the smoke and make it more full-bodied and less unfriendly. I don’t know if other people are ok with me smelling of Bandit, but I had a hell of a good time.

I’m getting dank marijuana, green, bitter and hairy. Eye-stinging, nose-clearing inky dank greenness with a big pinch of crisp aldehydes. Rooty, rich soil and ancient tack leather. It’s a little filthy, in an aged single-bay auto shop garage where they specialize in restoring classic cars. I have a decant of the EDT, so it’s already aged a bit, I think top note loss. I love a green chypre. Bandit is as strident and unbothered as a chypre can be.

@Grimdeux this is way more brutal, thick and animalic than Cabochard.

Deep smoky tanned leather, bitter with a very strong waft of burnt sage that's so strong it makes your eyes water. Honestly, guys, it smells just like Cabochard, which I got for like 11 euros. I like it, but I'd just get Cabochard. The soft elegant drydown is fanTAstic, though.

Bandit è uno di quei profumi freddi e amari che risulta molto severo, maschile e anche un pò frizzante all'inizio,quando si sente una nota rossa (rabarbaro forse) che mi piace particolarmente. Assomiglia a Cabochard, a La nuit di paco rabanne,con quella nota lattosa di cocco in sottofondo che crea un effetto umido e un po sessuale. In realtà all'origine questo profumo fu ideato per le lesbiche mentre Fracas era per uomini gay. Diciamo che si sente molto chiaramente lo stile androgino di entrambe i profumi e che ancora oggi sono molto in voga.

Wow. This is unlike any perfume I have ever smelled. I’ll write a proper review once I feel that I get it enough to be somewhat eloquent. For now, I’ll just share my initial impressions (I’ve worn it three times). It opens imposingly, with a full blast of aldehydes, bitter galbanum and piercing artemisia. I love this. I can also see how others would run for the hills. Yesterday I wore vintage Aramis and I can certainly see where it got its cues. (That Bandit was designed for women speaks volumes about the evolution of culture, gender norms, and standards of beauty. But I digress.) I get almost no florals in the midsection. To me, it goes from the super aldehydic and bitter green opening to what becomes its signature: a dry, dry, dry, almost brittle oakmoss that completely saturates… until an equine or bovine smoky hide and an unctuous civet rear their heads, subtending it. This is the purring, growling, seductive beast that will accompany you relentlessly from this point forward. “Neon yellow on a brown background,” indeed. This is something else, really. I’m sort of in awe. FYI, this is from a new, previously unsprayed, late-80s or early-90s Alfin, Inc. vintage EDT.

What a beauty! I am a big fan of chypre perfumes and I have to say that this one is particularly incredible. Indeed, the first time I smelled it in a niche perfumery (in the Marais in the heart of Paris), I got a big wow! The green, dry, incisive, perfectly drawn Chypre, to my nose slightly creamy in the base notes. The hold is at least 6 hours, the projection more than correct. Totally unisex. In some ways, it reminds me of Miss Dior original l'extrait, whose scents rocked my childhood because my grandmother wore it religiously (she wore it for about 50 years and when she got tired of it, she started wearing Calèche soie de parfum.). a real Proust madeleine!

This is magical, I feel like i just had a life changing holiday where I hung out with all my best friends living and dead, made a ton of new ones including all my idols from history and now we’re all at a party. It’s a naturally occurring herby sherbet. Day 2 and I’ve just topped up after luxuriating all day in a light spritz and it smells even better. I can wear a lot and feel more myself. Every other perfume I’m trying to figure out the right amount to cocoon without overpowering. I want this to settle into every inch.

One of the classics, this is not temporary trend or hype, this is evergreen which will last forever. Strong, bold, rich, for serious people, unisex.

Initially I was shocked by how aldehydic it is, when I was hoping for a deep dark leather. This turned out to be a blessing as the bright and sharp elements keep Bandit clean and accessible as the darker tones develop underneath. It’s not sweet but it’s incredibly inviting and it starts to become addicting and easy to wear after a few days. I sampled this first and then got Bandit Supreme yesterday. Still having a hard time choosing since they both share so many of the same features I like. One a bit more playful (bandit) the other more stoic (supreme) but just by a bit. The history of this fragrance is another interesting aspect.

When the time comes to meet satan, he will take a whiff and say: "Good boy".

Scent for your LARP as a butch lesbian who rides a Harley through the forest in her sweaty leather jacket occasionally stopping to crush cigarettes into fresh greenery under boot heel. Idk what statement this made in the 40's but in our degraded age it's a nuclear "fuck you" to everyone in your vicinity. Amazing stuff.

old school bitter leather very animalic and kind of grandpa fragance smell like green notes that comes from a citric used on those types of fragance, some people may find it smelling simple, some overwhelming, but I love this one, definitely one of top 5, my second favorite leather fragance

The most beautiful moonlit evening murky languorous glowing swamp beneath trees that you will ever encounter...A fragrant fantasy picture image in dark blues and blacks illuminated with gold and silver in the mind's olfactory eye. All this from a fruity leather perfume. Remains mysterious to me even after 20 years when I first encountered it. A mysterious, passionate, perfect love.

Reminds me of raw gingerbread dough mixed with some civet. Meh.

Absolutely outrageous opening - lots of definitely-not-vegan dirty animalic notes in stark contrast to the squeaky-clean aldehydes and “shaving-soap” chypre notes, not really balancing each other out so much as standing at odds with each other, really crazy but special. Dries down to a less intimidating leathery musk with a really gorgeous and very French orange blossom note running through it and the aldehydes providing that note that reads like vintage elegance in the 21st C. Overall the drydown reminds me of the story of how Grasse came to be known for perfumery after leather working because of the wealthy planting scented flowers to cover up the smell of the tanning hides. Sprayed it both on a tester and my wrist and the green bitter notes are much stronger on the cardboard, I think it does need skin chemistry to mellow out but imagine a lot of people would be scared to spray it right on! Anyway, what a trip, glad to have finally tried this classic. Not suitable for office wear unless you’re the boss I think.

thank u jack once again

"Shiny, shiny, shiny boots of leather Whiplash girl child in the dark Comes in bells, your servant, don't forsake him Strike, dear mistress, and cure his heart" Stunning!

“Bandit is the perfect perfume to create an aura of mistery" and Piguet himself wanted it to appear as bold as possible. A fragrance that made the history of the brand, Bandit is surprisingly very current. Aldehydes gives fresh and accents, accompanied by aromatic, green, but at the same time fascinating nuances. Masterfully executed. For lovers of aldehydes.