Bandit by Robert Piguet c1944

Bandit by Robert Piguet: launched in 1942, 1944 in USA. Created by Germaine Cellier. From 1945-1947 Bandit was sold as Brigand in the USA, it may have been war sensitivities or a copyright issue. Some packaging can be found with a label with the wording "Brigand in US is in every respect identical with that known as BANDIT in the rest of the world".

Brigand (Bandit) with its heavy, sophisticated scent, was created especially for use in the evening and to be worn by brunettes.

This androgynous fragrance had a very unique introduction. At one of Piguet's fashion shows, he dressed his models as rebellious bank robbers, complete with faux pistols. This sounds all fine and dandy, and nothing more than a normal runway show, but what about the perfume? What happened?

The models dramatically smashed bottles of Bandit perfume on the floor in an insolent manner, which caused the room to be permeated with the mysterious scent. This stunt reminds me of when Francois Coty dropped a bottle of his Coeur de Jeanette perfume on the floor of the Galeries Lafayette in order to drum up business between him and the fragrance department manager. As expected, women clamoured to find out what THAT delightful scent was and the rest as they say is history.

Femme, 1946:

"Robert Piguet's "Bandit", a recent creation, has the disturbing, dangerous and fanciful side of its name. It doesn't look like any other. But it is still Parisian and therefore irresistible."

L'Art et la Mode, 1967:

"For man and woman united in the same style, there's Bandit by Robert Piguet, the great of adventure who stars now. The Bandit parfum for women, The toilet water for man (or both). Fawn-like, original, racy; this fragrance, sensual is unique among a hundred components, leather notes, jasmine, woods dominate, with a wild carnation top; heady cocktail. In a very different but no less attractive rating, also recall Cravache by Robert Piguet."

Original Fragrance Composition:

So what does it smell like? It is classified as an aromatic floral leather chypre fragrance for women. It starts with a dry, fresh herbaceous top, followed by a dry floral heart, resting on a warm, leathery, mossy base. A potpourri of jasmine, leather and wood topped with carnation.

• Top notes: armoise, lemon, citron, gardenia, galbanum, artemisia, bay leaf, bergamot, aldehydes, marigold
• Middle notes: thyme, nutmeg, rose, pepper, orris, wild carnation, Tunisian orange blossom, Grasse jasmine, spices, ylang ylang
• Base notes: aloeswood, frankincense, teak, tobacco, Tibetan musk, leather, sandalwood, vetiver, ambergris, patchouli, myrrh, castoreum, oakmoss, Ethiopian civet

 

It is a potpourri of jasmine, leather and wood topped with carnation.

Germaine Cellier was very bold in the composition of Bandit when she added an overdose of 1% isobutyl quinoline to create the intensely animalic leather, amber and tobacco note and styrallyl acetate (2%) that formed part of a fully developed gardenia complex with undecylenic aldehyde.

Combat, 1954:

"Eau de Bandit by Robert Piguet: Two dominants: moss and leather, spiced up by an unrepentant musk and a lively note of vetiver. Diluting the eau de cologne in no way deprives this perfume of its vigor, but acclimatizes it to the "summer.. This 'bandit' is a seducer. He has the eyes of a veteran and a hand of velvet. Golden like a citron, he has pepper, thyme, nutmeg and bay leaf in his boots, but he holds between his teeth a few jasmine flowers, well planted on the sunny morning which chirps around. A 'bandit' of love."

Combat, 1955:

"Bandit (perfumed cologne) by Robert Piguet - Diluted for the summer, we find the carnal and vigorous aroma, where the impertinent musk thickens the leather and the jasmine, letting express the lively vetiver, the bitter citron and fresh, binding thyme and spicy nutmeg. Bandit?...Maybe. Well on the adventure. A love bandit."

Bottles:

The crystal parfum bottles were made by Pochet et du Courval in France:

• 1/8 oz Purse size mini
• 1/4 oz bottle stands 2.25"tall
• 1/2 oz - bottle stands 2.5" tall  
• 1 oz - bottle stands  3 3/8” tall 
• 2 oz bottle stands 4.25" tall
• 4 oz
• 8 oz

Graphis, 1947:

"ROBERT PIGUET : Visa & Bandit. - Bottle in pressed glass capsule in gilt metal; label in yellow embossing; box covered with imitation tartan ; outside packing in yellow paper with postmarks and cellophane jacket."

Fate of the Fragrance:

In the 1950s, the Robert Piguet fragrances were owned and distributed by the John Robert Powers Products Company. You will see both names on bottles and boxes.

In 1960, Jacqueline Cochran became the distributor for Robert Piguet perfumes in the USA. The boxes and bottles may only be marked with the "Robert Piguet Parfums" name was used until around 1982.

The Robert Piguet fragrances were owned by Alfin (Irwin Alfin/Adrien Arpel, Inc.) from 1982-1995. In 1985, the company formed a subdivision, Orinter Geneva Switzerland, to handle the Parfums Robert Piguet. The Company owned the exclusive worldwide manufacturing, distribution and licensing rights for Fracas, Bandit, Cravache, Baghari and Musk Blanc. The company also initiated mass marketing of other popular Robert Piguet fragrances.

It was at this time that they reformulated and relaunched these fragrances, and unfortunately, these versions are the worst according to online reviews.

Then the Robert Piguet brand was acquired by Fashion Fragrances and Cosmetics, Ltd. (FF&C) in 1995 and brought back several of the original classics as well as launching new ones.

Bandit was reformulated to closely match the original feminine version by Aurelien Guichard and relaunched in 1999. This is the current version seen on the Robert Piguet Parfums website.

From Robert Piguet:

"Provocative and sultry, this chypre fragrance is an intense blend."

So what does the reformulation smell like? It is classified as a floral chypre fragrance for women.

• Top notes: neroli, orange essence, ylang ylang, artemisia, galbanum and bergamot
• Middle notes: jasmine, tuberose, orris, rose, carnation and leather
• Base notes: mousse de chene, castoreum, patchouli, vetiver, myrrh and musk