Bandit Suprême

I have just received Bandit Supreme in a mix-up from my supplier, having actually ordered Bandit. There's witchy magic at work; one spray and I am entranced, nose to perfumed arm, lost in its peculiarly dry, bitter green, plush-leather atmosphere. Anyone who has seen Fargo Season 4 will recognise the film-makers use of a dark, elegant, somewhat sinister green tone throughout. Bandit Supreme is quintessential Fargo-green in its deep, dark heart. It's beguiling and potent. Leather is there, giving a plush lustre to its Chypre heart. There's a beam of golden amber shooting through this dark forest-effect after 30 minutes, giving a lustrous quality. It's gorgeous. Mysterious. Intriguing, even. It's not a lost-in-the-woods faerie-land kind of Chypre; its a stride-through-the-darkness creature, eyes glowing in the dark. I admire its uncompromising pared-down boldness. It reminds me of Cabochard, without the softening floral notes. I'd like to compare this with Bandit and will add notes when I do (* I have now added a comparison, below). Until then, I'm wholly satisfied with Bandit Supreme. Haiku of the day a scented mix-up fargo-green and beguiling bandits steal my heart *added 16/1/21 Comparison between Bandit and Bandit Supreme (on skin and tester): Bandit opens with bright aldehyde and Galbanum, with a distict floral note which is missing in Bandit Supreme. Bandit is dry-woods; Bandit Supreme is mossy-woods throughout. Both are superbly long-lasting. I could smell both on my skin 12+ hours after spraying. On cloth I can smell them in the surrounding air days later. The florals in Bandit create a perfume I'd classify as Unisex/Feminine, whereas Bandit Supreme is more Masculine/Unisex. I prefer Bandit. My husband prefers Bandit Supreme. Both magnificent!

I know this brand because of Fracas but, since I was already in the store, I started to smell the other fragrances and fell instantly in love with this one. It's not for everyone, it smells a bit vintage but in the classiest and best way possible. The galbanum opening and the bitter green moss with patchouli is pure poetry. I tried the vintage version as well but I think the aldehydes in that one feel too dated. I prefer this one. On me it smells great and it's now one of my signature scents.

@Apteroux, I got mine from Libertine Perfumerie, in Australia. They were apologetic about the mix-up and really patient with me while I wrestled with the dilemma of choice. If you're in Oz, they've definitely got it in stock. I opted for Bandit and returned Bandit Supreme, but both are wonderful.

I encountered Bandit Suprême by chance — a small decant tossed in with another purchase. Given its sharp, green, and earthy character, I decided to wear it on a long winter walk through the forest. The pairing felt instinctive. The opening is intensely green and bitter, dominated by smoky galbanum with neroli. In the background, a dry, worn-out leather note lingers. The overall impression of earthy mossiness is strikingly natural — like a blend of pure essential oils. The chalky roughness of the composition felt perfectly suited for such an outing, seamlessly blending with the moss-covered surroundings on a rainy, snow-dusted winter day. There's nothing cushioned here — no attempt to round out the edges. As the hours pass, the scent shifts, but not dramatically. It smooths out slightly, yet the galbanum never fully retreats. This is a 100% masculine fragrance, with no concessions to unisex softness. The projection starts off incredibly strong but quickly settles as the scent leans into earthier, more leathery territory. Longevity is well above average. I only have a decant, but in photos, the bottle looks plain with a hint of old-school style. This particular galbanum note is nearly identical to what I've experienced in Ajmal Verde and Al Haramain Miracle. In fact, if you stripped Miracle of its volume and dialed it down to a more wearable, cleaner register, you'd land close to Bandit — both smell like a pure concentrate of leather-infused galbanum extract. Obviously, Bandit ranks higher in quality — but at what cost? Whenever I test pricier perfumes, I can't help but reflect on the disdain some reviewers have for Middle Eastern fragrances. Yes, some are clearly lower in quality — you get what you pay for — but many, especially the best ones, hold their own against high-end creations. For most people (me included), they're the only accessible way to experience these kinds of compositions. The price gap is staggering for a subjective difference in quality. But many on Fragrantica won't accept that — smelling with their wallets, unwilling to acknowledge that, nowadays, all fragrances are predominantly synthetic, with only some managing to create a more natural illusion. And here's where I become a hypocrite and smell with my wallet — I remain skeptical about Bandit Suprême. Ajmal Verde does the same and feels far more complex to me. I mainly evaluate fragrances through the lens of price, and I would never purchase a full bottle of this. That said, for what it is — a small, nearly free sample — this was a fascinating wear. It's not a fragrance I'd reach for regularly, but it nails a certain mood: cold and austere. For the cost of basically nothing, this 5 ml sample provided an intriguing experience. Opening note: 7+ Sillage/Projection: 7+ Drydown: 7+ Longevity: 8+ Blend/Composition: 8+ Versatility: 5+ Uniqueness: 8+ Value for money: 1+ Bottle design/Aesthetics: 7- Overall experience: 7+ Blind-buy rating: 2+

Bandit, after he got married and settled down in the suburbs and started working a 9-5. Similar to the original, but softer, more powdery, tamer. Far more similar to Cabochard, but actually still easier to wear and less challenging. I do like it, but I by far prefer the original. Lasts 12h+.

Lovely, green, bitter leather chypre. Smells just like a rainy day in the woods. Mossy, lush, and a touch animalic, it’s masculine-leaning and very wearable.

Ooh this packs an unexpected punch. It starts like a stronger, modernised and niche version of Cabochard (minus the aldehydes). It’s green, woody and smoky like Encre Noire but much richer and refined. BUT, the smoking incense takes over, and it smokes and smokes and smokes until it’s a gentle white and grey ash. It’s a clean, spicy-smoky and that just smokes too much for my tastes. One spray on my wrist was forcefully radiating up towards my face and through my masked nose. Longevity is superb too. The dry-down returns to being a more crystallised, mineral version of Cabochard. The original Bandit is NOT being discontinued, it’s simply out of stock.

Wow! Released in 2020... not going to attract the LVEB crowd for sure. Haven't tested the original Bandit so can't compare But this is more powerful, less floral, than Cabochard. It is dark green, musty, a bit of stale tobacco. Not my kind of fragrance but I applaud the person who can wear this with ease.

This is great. I can't really do an in-depth review right now due to a lingering cold, but I can briefly speak to the simiarities to the current version of Bandit and also Cabochard. This would be my pick out of the bunch. It doesn't focus on the dusty, dry floral woodiness of the other two as much. You still get that bitter green galbanum leading into an ashy, inky oakmoss-leather drydown, but this brings a very mild warm cedary-ambered hue into the fold which I find blends with the bitterness and leather accords really well. It's not obnoxious, but it's just there to keep the texture a bit more modern and away from the powdered, floral heart of the other two. I'd say that bittersweet green aroma seems to stick around more prominently supported perhaps by some resinous incense-like material. The official release page mentions the use of muscenone specifically so I guess I'll make the connection there. Fraterworks cites muscenone as having "pronounced powdery and animalic facets complemented by a subtle natural sweetness, cosmetic softness, and faint hints of orris, soapy and woody nuances". I definitely pick up a very mild, warm musky aroma and some soapy-woody qualities that I find absent or lessened in Bandit or Cabochard. It seems a bit cleaner to me- not as tobacco forward and more streamlined. Within that soapy-cedar adjaceny I also pick up a bit of a sour, musky animalic vibe. Anyways, I can see how it might be less interesting and fun to some but I find it more wearable and inviting which I always appreciate, and yet it still has that deep, vegetal-earthy quality I enjoy in the other two. Performance is also super strong- the projection power is enormous. People have told me they smell it as I get within 3 feet of them. edit: I actually want to deduct points because this stuff sticks around on my clothes even after washing them. Way too strong.

Jacobean Lily, wow, that sounds super exciting! Where did you get it from? I'm seeing this at Harrods and essenza-nobile.de, which is the only site that has any info on it, saying that it is an honest attempt to recapture the original, after it "underwent several, no longer comprehensible, transformations over the decades". Why isn't it on the robertpiguetparfums website? You'd think they would want to advertise this so people would know about it?! Perfume marketing and availability is frequently incomprehensible to me. Now I just have to decide if it's worth the dive or not.

Bandit mixed with something like Sisley Eau du Soir. Le Sillage Blanc did immediately come to mind, but in it, the dryness is unyielding. Here, there is something like a sweet jasmine to temper the green.

really wanted to like this... hopefully get to try the original bandit sometime