Fidji (1966)
by Guy Laroche

I had this decades ago. The bottle I have now is probably reformulated. I only remember that I enjoyed this in the 80's and I needed to have it again. It smells pretty good. Not modern, at all. Plenty of floral breeze going on. Wispy aldehydes. A tinge of wood or something like green, earth. Pops of spice. It's a classic.

This is a classic aldehyde fragrance. reminds me of Shalimar a bit. Kind of an "old lady" smell, but definite quality.

Barbara Herman tells us that: "Fidji starts off green-fresh in its top notes, moves into a radiant jasmine/rose, and, softened by buttery orris, it dries down to a woody and spicy warmth."

One cannot top that description. It is right on the button. Beware the re-formulation, which is weak and less complex. Buy only vintage.

For me this is basically a green hyacinth floral with woody/spicy notes. If Hyacinth is a floral that appeals to you, this is a winner. Compare to Penhaligon's Bluebell.

Top notes: Galbanum, Hyacinth, Lemon, Bergamot
Heart notes: Carnation, Orris, Ylang, Jasmine, Rose
Base notes: Vetiver, Musk, Oakmoss, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Ambergris

Fidji was a hit and Roja Dove tells us it influenced Anais Anais, Chanel No. 19 and Charlie.

The bottle is gorgeous - again buy only vintage.

Fidji by Guy Laroche opens as a fresh, green, dense and "botanical" floral chypre, deep and textured, on a superb base of velvety dust, slightly animalic but radiant and powdery, supported by a woody-spicy axe with almondy nuances (heliotropin, I guess). What strikes me is a splendid, general, chic luminosity all over, greenish and floral, which does not contrast with the darker woody-resinous-animalic side, but instead completes them, or better say, the visual impression is that is almost "arises" from them. The name fits perfectly the scent, you are transported into a chypresque exotic ambiance refreshed by a fresh breeze, shady and mysterious but bright and lively, earthy and raw. All beautifully blended with a more classic, Western carnal soapiness and powdery opulence filled with chic and austere elegance. It may look like a clashing contrast, but as I said, it's not: it smells perfectly compelling and "compact". As minutes pass Fidji warms and softens, a soapy-dusty woody accord emerges while the "fresh" green and zesty breeze tones down and vanishes. A pleasantly modern scent, clean but raw, unisex and "young" somehow. Nothing stunningly new, but a smart, unique, classy and timeless range of variations on a classic theme – the feminine chypre. Effortless, exotic, lively rawness, Another underrated vintage gem from Guy Laroche.

8,5/10

Genre: Green Floral

Indolic tropical white flowers, galbanum, a touch of spice, and powdery aldehydes. It could have been unbearably sweet, heavy, and suffocating, but it’s delicate as Venetian glass. It could have been trite, but it’s elegant and spirited. What makes Fidji so special? “B and B” – balance and blending. Fidji’s central white flower accord is extremely smooth and seamlessly blended. Its strength is perfectly modulated for tantalizing sillage without overbearing weight. It contains just enough galbanum give it spine, just enough aldehydes to give it some olfactory “lift” and just enough sweetness to round off its edges. Finally, it does not simply go all t pieces in the drydown. Instead it very slowly reveals a waxen, warm, nutty accord of what smells like clean musk and sandalwood. It’s a wonder to me that Fidji remains so relatively obscure a fragrance.