Fragrance Reviews by Marie

I am once again struck by how changeable any frangrance can be. Dry? Non-floral? Not on me. The green notes are persistently sticky, the florals don't blend at all and the leather notes vanish leaving only ash. Even after several hours I am left with an impression of a decaying bouquet of pungent white flowers in a vase of greenish water next to an ashtray.

Knowing what I like in a fragrance, I had thought Bandit promising, what a disappointment! Blame it on chemistry, I guess, clearly it works splendidly for some.

If Bandit just doesn't work for you, you might sample Jean Louis Scherrer - I found it gave me what I thought I might find in Bandit. The leather stays high and tight throughout with a silvery green edge lurking below the surface. The green notes fade, of course, leaving a beautiful array of florals that emerge and recede over time. For me the carnation persists the longest, just over the leather and very close to the skin.

I have somewhat mixed feelings about this fragrance. I find it a little bit maddening. The initial green stages are lush and promising, but they give way to a certain floral note that I find distinctly repellant, perhaps it's tuberose - creamy but a little cloying on me. If you wait however, the galbanum and the floral heart spread out evenly and transparently over the chypre base. This is what Miss Dior will be with a little experience. The chypre has a light, blonde character with an occasional very slight burnt or bitter edge, perhaps the cinnamon.

This will not replace Ivoire or Givenchy III for me but I don't think I will be able to let it go.