Bandit parfum VS EdP

I'm sorry I can answer your question as the only version of Bandit I know is the reformulated EdP forumla I own a bottle of. I've never really thought there were lots of leaves, grass and twigs in it either, which I find stimulating that you find. I have to get my bottle out soon and spray me some. So I haven't such delicate green and woodsy things, but maybe birch tar though? Sometimes Bandit reminds me of the wooden walls of a heated sauna.

Your description rings a bell with me - in both directions! I smell the same things in the EDP (New York) as you do, and it's much drier than I remember from way back! The way you describe the perfume version (new issue?) coincides with how I remember the original French Bandit (which could also have been parfum. The original had a purer frankincense, and the overall impression was softer and with just a hint of sweetness added. Shipped from Switzerland? If you have more details about the sender, I might wish to order the perfume myself. I bought the EDP here, but it has been manufactured in New York. There is still an EDT version, I believe. I won a small amount of that one, a tad sweeter, but lacking intensity.

Thanks for taking the trouble to look up all those details, Ascella ! . I haven’t been lazy myself since yesterday, and I believe some of our riddles have been solved. I never bought from Strawberry’s, but I get the idea that they are actually a well organized net of united e-traders spreading all over the world. ‘Mülligen’ is one of the centers of our national mail service, quite close, actually, and that gave me a hint towards the excellent trader I bought my Piguets and some other bottles from in the past. Heureka! They now carry as a new product:


I had missed the news about it’s re-edition in 2006. Even reviewing the many Bandit threads on BN again, I only found the perfume mentioned once (ladies forum). I am so glad you discussed it here! I might not have become aware of the new situation for another year, who knows? Consciously wearing first the EDP, now EDT for 10 hours each, I must recall my earlier praises of the EDP. In comparison, it is way too dry, and knows no mercy for tender noses. The EDT is indeed closer to the original. But from the little I could catch from brief comments about the perfume version now, I hope that the flowers will last longer and be deeper still! Here is what ‘Victoria’ wrote in 2005 about all three versions (using an old perfume):


Main thing, the perfume is back! Even though my confidence in the US licensee is limited, I expect that I will now get closer to the original than ever.
@ Shifts: Birch tar j
is in my tool box. It stinks so strongly, that there is hardly a consumer market for it. Smelled once, you will never forget it either. I do not think I found any traces here.

I have parfum (30 ml) and I have EdP. I aggree: they are almost totally different.
I prefer parfum (it's much more dark and "dirty").
I got them from fragrancenet.com.

A very informative thread I immediately went out (figuratively speaking) and purchsed the parfum. Always wanted to own it, and now I do!

I bought the EDP earlier this year - I kinda wish I hadn't. I was initially intrigued but I really can't get over the galbanum. I seem to be sensitive to it and the more I smell of it, the less I like it. I love leather, but Bandit is just too green. (If anyone is interested in doing a swap or something, PM me!)

excuse me.

i have just learned that there are 2 versions of the new EDP around as well. on of them fits the description of the edp, the other one could be the perfume you people are talking about. it's rather ambery, sweeter, warmer. woods, rather than green leaves.

it's a bit of a bummer, since i ordered 3 bottles as b'day gift for my girl, the other formula works so beautiful on her but our supply in holland has dried up! so i ordered in the states, 3 bottles. and they are completely different!

i haven't checked with her old bottle, i'm not even sure what to do now.

but this set i can tell you:
here, they do have the sticker on the cellophane. they have a short ingredient listing (the old alcohol, fragrance, water type. the one other ingredient is benzophenone -2 whatever that is!) it was made in the usa. they have a ref.number, 74012 and come in a 3 piece box marked with ref 74012-009. the distribution is ffc in new york.

please be so kind to compare, maybe we can solve this mystery or at least pinpoint what is what and how to recognize it.

oh, and another detail. the cap of the bottle is notably sturdy, i have to pull with some force to get it off the bottle and putting it back on is even more a bit of a task. don't know if this matters, but if the other formula comes in a bottle without this slight flaw, it might be useful information.

I've also been working on this mystery and your research matches mine. As far as I can tell, their is the first EDP reformulation released in 1999 and it looks like thishttp://www.fragrancex.com/products/image.html?sid=726W . The easiest way to tell its the 1999 formula is that it has four lines of text under the logo on the box (each line respectively reading "Eau de Parfum, Vaporisateur, Eau de Parfum, Natural Spray").

This is the American made formula. While very pleasant, it lacks the expected kick of Bandit, going through a floral and powdery middle section before reaching the Bandit drydown.

The second EDP reformulation (made in 2003 or 2004) looks like this http://www.fragranceexpress.com/Wome...-p6024205.html . Notice how it only has two lines of text on the front package. The back should say that its made in France. This is supposedly closer to the original Bandit.

Please note that I can't guarantee that this information is correct. Most of it has been collected from gleaning forum posts and research done by the fantastic Helg over at the perfumeshrine blog. If anyone can correct me or give me more information feel free! I'm also frustrated by recieving bottles of Bandit that don't smell correct so I'm trying to find out as much as I can to spare others the same problems.

Edit: There are also a number of other markers on both packaging and the bottles including capitalization, cap composition, and the name of the President on the certification seal that can help distinguish vintages.

hello zizaniodes, thanks for your comments.

first, forget about those pictures! it says nothing. this one here has two lines, looks just like the second image, but i gather that this must be the first edition.
however, the package does say made in the usa. and this is probably the key. first version made in the usa, second made in france.

both the 'original formula' according to the sticker, right?


please explain!

Eek! I'm sorry to hear that you have one like the second picture that is made in the US! That was the one variable that looked reliable!

My current bottle (same reference number as yours #74012) looks like the first picture, with four lines of text and has the flowery/aldehyde notes that don't smell like the Bandit I remember. I think we have the same version.

What cap does the bottle have? Clear/gold/black? With initials printed on it or not? Which president is listed on the certification?

zizanioides,

the initials are embossed on top of the black cap.
the certificate is signed by errol g.w. stanford of givaudan.

is this the same as with your bottle?

I have the same president as yours but mine is an unfaceted black cap with no initials which I've never heard of Bandit having (I wrote to the company about it with no reply). Stafford was president of Givaudan up until January 2004 when Michael Carlos took over. In a letter from Mr Carlos to Helg Carlos states that he moved the production of Bandit back to France and rebalanced the formula (something to do with a difference in French vs. American perfume alcohol, I think it was). People seem happier with this newer version and it does bear his name on the seal instead of Stafford's.

ok, this is getting a little weird now!
the bottle that is my girl's, the one that smells green, was made in the usa! not in france!
the one i have was made in the usa too, and it is not at all the same. i'm confused.
unfortunately, she can't tell me about the certificate; she thinks it was on there, but she has thrown the wrap with the sticker away after opening it.
she is going to to make a photograph and send it to me.

Haha, I can see why no one has had much luck in solving the Bandit mystery! That was the only reference to a post 1995 formula change that I could find, but perhaps there was another! Unless hers was an Alfin made EDP. When you get the pictures please let us know any relevant information about the bottles and maybe we can clarify somethings.

Here's some more reading on the Bandit mystery if anyone is interested in delving deeper.
http://perfumeshrine.blogspot.com/20...by-piguet.html
http://perfumeoflife.com/index.php?showtopic=14507&st=0
http://perfumeoflife.com/index.php?s...hl=bandit&st=0
http://perfumeoflife.com/index.php?s...3656&hl=bandit

Hi all. i am so happy to have found this thread, because i have been having similar problems with Bandit. Only it may even get more complicated .. Am i right in assuming that batch 74012 smells sweet (some blogs mention ashtray, amber etc), and batch 71121also smells sweet? the thing is, i have a 7,5 ml parfum (batch 71021), this is sweet. Then the other week i got a 30 ml parfum and it contains the "green monster".. it is totally different! green grassy and no sweetness at all. The batch number is 71121.... then i got a 50ml eau de parfum (batch 74011) and this is sweet again. Ascella: could you please tell me if i am right in assuming that your perfume with batch nr 71121 is indeed sweet? if so, then it means batch numbers are no indication of the smell of the contents, which would be a bummer (because it makes buying Bandit a bit of Russian roulette). thanks!

I bought a bottle of EdP not too long ago (don't remember from which online retailer) and it has a sticker on the cellophane that actually boasts the following (improbable) promise:


Having read that the original was based on (now unavailable) perfume bases, I wonder how they can claim that the original formula was preserved. Maybe they reversed-engineered some vintage juice with a gas chromatograph? Seems unlikely, but what do I know?

Anyone else have this sticker on their box?

Good question. I assume they did some sort of test using the actual old juice. As for the sticker: this seems to be used for every conceivable version of Bandit currently in circulation. All three bottles/versions i mentioned in my previous message had this sticker on the cellophane wrapper. I have no idea which version is closest to the actual Bandit of yore: the green one or the sweet one. Luca Turin mentions in the Guide that "it" is a pretty faithful rendering of the actual Bandit, of course I have no idea which version he means.... hmmm...

How exciting! I've been searching for the "green monster" version for some time now and its exciting to have a batch number for it. I assume both the 71121 and the 71021 were made in the US and have Errol Stafford on the seal? If so, that dates it to between 1999 and 2004. After 2004 a new President took over Givaudan and the production was moved back to France. Did you find the green monster version online or at a retail store?

As to how they reproduced Bandit, they got some talent modern perfumer (who's name escapes me) to remake the scent. The original used bases that are no longer produced and had some astronomical number of ingredients. They can still call it Bandit because, if my understanding of perfume regulations is correct, they can call it whatever the hell they like as long as they own the rights to the name. Its a source of great wry amusement that the IRFA pushes for draconian allergen restrictions while giving consumers no guarantee of consistency or quality control. Ah well.

the very interesting --and so bloody confusing!! - thing is that all three bottles had the EXACT SAME certification sticker.... same president and all.... so there is really no telling at all which batch contains what smell.... i bought the 30ml green monster via a very kind ebay seller... she also sent me the edp , which ended up being the sweet monster i like more.... still don't know which version is closest to the original... am going to the osmotheque in Paris soon (gods willing) and i hope they have it there so i can finally tell once and for all .. when i do i'll post back here!

Just in case anybody missed it, there was a recent discussion of Bandit reformulations over on this thread on the Female Fragrance board.

Executive summary: I recently bought a bottle of Bandit EdP, which I take to be the current version: Made in France, the above-mentioned Certificate on the box, and an ingredient list that includes treemoss but no oakmoss. It's ok, but smells nothing like the wonderful sample of (non-vintage) Bandit EdP that I got just last year from The Posh Peasant. For example, the drydown is a lot closer to the current version of Cabochard than it is to the sample of Bandit that I have.

treemoss?? this is certainly not on the list of ingedients of any of the three boxed i have.. also, on the other thread you mention I read about black versus transparent (almost) caps: all three caps on my bottles are clear.... and all three are made/distributed in the USA.. yet one of them (the 30ml perfume) is harsh green, and the other two (7,5 ml perfume and 50 ml edp) are the sweet ones with the slight ashtray (but in a good way) drydown.. basically what i learned here is : 1) always smell before you buy and 2) possibly avoid the French version...