Fidji Eau de Toilette

Fidji - the scent of paradise. Vintage, 70’s edt splash. Created by the late Josephine Catapano (of Norell, Youth Dew etc), Fidji embodied a new style in perfumery, a green fresh spirit, inspired in part by L’Air du Temps, and later on inspiring the mythical Anaïs Anaïs. It was a dreamscape, faraway islands, exotic beaches and the magic of the orient. But not in a heavy oriental manner; Fidji was the daytime version, a more hip hippie fragrance giving its emphasis on patchouli and sandalwood, and bitter green notes. Back then, when tropical didn’t mean fruity pink drinks and coconut suntan lotion, Fidji was seen as a breath of fresh air. And righty so; galbanum in abundance, aldehydes, hyacinth, jasmine, ylang ylang, cloves, orris, ambergris, oakmoss, sandalwood... a fresh but sensual fragrance that read in its first ads ‘a woman is an island, Fidji is her fragrance’. Review of early 70’s edt splash. And indeed it was. Seen through the lens of a gauzy dreamscape, Fidji startles with its soapy aldehydes and bitter herbal opening. Fresh, savonneux, the cool touch of skin freshly showered. Lemon and bergamot add further sparkle without making the opening citrusy, instead enhancing the galbanum, and making way for the florals. Flowers that are caressed by the Pacific breeze. Rich but never demure, the flowers are enhanced by the spicy cloves, with a slight carnation feel, hence the association with the more serious and mature L’Air du Temps; Fidji was younger, carefree, emancipating. Exploring new lands, breaking new boundaries. But even though there’s an innate breath of fresh air running through, Fidji still manages to smell sensual at the same time. The ambery base with ambergris for its lick of salty skin, sandalwood from Mysore that conjures the exotic and faraway India, sensual musks, oakmoss... notes that anchor Fidji on skin for hours, developing and mesmerizing, enveloping the fragrance in sensuality and transitioning it to the night. Fidji was seen as a perfect scent for young ladies. The allure of the exotic was becoming a reality, Woodstock was about to take place, and the hippie movement was in auge. But while a young lady could perfectly wear it, a green fresh floral, so could a more rogue one. Deep basenotes, rich patchouli and sandalwood, animalic beauty running through. Fidji was the dream of a generation, a perfume that made a reality the new world and the breaking of boundaries. A still frame of a generation that was breaking free of restrictions and embracing opportunities. Fidji is and was for everyone, and today it feels more unisex than ever. In its early 70’s formula, which is the one I own, it positively sings on skin for hours on end. The version sold today, while thinner and flatter, still manages to convey the smell of exotic islands and faraway lands. A woman is an island, but Fidji can be worn by anybody. Green, fresh, sparkling; timeless and elegant. A true masterpiece and what exotic fragrances should smell like!

I got a tiny amount of this juice (vintage EdT) in a perfume set of unfinished bottles on Ebay - a 10 ml amount or so, and I raise my hat to every single one of them: it's so bountiful, self-sufficient and just one big olfactive celebration! Yes, you know right away it's old school ( same musky bordering on dusty bottom level as in Rive Gauche or Air du Printemps ), but it's somehow very appropriate here, creating an allusion of a humid hot air cloud one steps into exiting the plane, hopeful of an incredible holiday adventure to begin happening instantly. What left me gobsmacked is the ambiguity of this scent, Firstly, it is moist and powder-dry simultaneously. It is like that contradiction of an underripe pear: you bite into its juicy flesh and it somehow leaves that sandpaper feel in the mouth that leaves you gasping for a drink. Secondly, it is green and white and sweet and minty all at the same time: I actually suspect that the listed lemon note should rather be lime, because it is lime that carries that minty kick and disrupts the sweet and powdery cloud of white florals and clove ( clove - in a summer scent: who could have expected?!). I felt like a million dollars wearing it, it did cause some flashbacks from the childhood, so perhaps it was resting in my olfactive memory all along, and I found it worked best on warm cloudy rainy summer days: it just hit the nail on the head in terms of working with the skin temperature ( sillage just the right amount, longevity exactly as one would expect - 6-7 hrs , and it keeps on living for weeks on fabrics ). I also tested the modern version in a dept. store and I can't even begin to explain how bleak and characterless it is in comparison to its original. ) Hunting for a vintage extrait and would only use it for veeeery festive open air summer occasions. Hardly a young scent: it has waaaay too much "secret female knowldege" in it, if you know what I mean. ;-)

I have a glass bottle (huge!) that looks exactly like the photo in this page on Fragrantica. It was a gift from a now deceased schoolteacher whom I kept in touch with in my adult years. I think of her when I smell this scent, but I am very pleased with the perfume in and of itself. You gotta get your hands on a vintage fragrance that looks just like this glass bottle in the EDT concentration to really get the best version. This starts with aldehydes. Fresh and bathy, and with citrus notes that also sort of smell like grapefruit. The opening is very perfumy-perfume in a classic sense with aldehydes into citrus and then florals. But something about this leans unisex and not feminine. It has an intensely soapy quality. And soap is not for just men or just women but both. The soap bar here is both herbal-green and floral. The galbanum is truly kicking in and the vetiver. It's mossy but subtle and yet earthy. The spices are also present and the cloves. To me the only florals that are making their way to my nasal detection are the rose, the jasmine, the hyacinth, the ylang ylang possibly a carnation. The florals are aquatic, as if the flowers and their bloom/petals were washed up by sea water. Because it's a toilet water, it really does feel like you should scent your bath with this. It's not super floral as it is herbal with some floral notes and smells so fresh and clean. The dryer stages turns powdery. I'm smelling amber, some notes of wood, vetiver and patchouli. If you like green florals and soapy scents, plus patchouli this is heaven for such notes in a fragrance. I highly recommend this for any time of the year. It's a very casual bathy scent so good for wearing right after your shower. It's also office friendly and not offensive. A beautiful simple perfume. Unisex.

nostalgia di terre lontane. oggi indosso un capolavoro senza tempo che mi ricorda inesorabilmente una vacanza passata alle isole eolie con mio padre (avrò avuto 7 o 8 anni). avevo con me un minuscolo beauty case con un paio di pettinini di plastica, un campioncino di Fidji in forma di fazzolettino imbevuto e poco altro. mi piaceva molto, allora. e, con mia grande sorpresa, mi piace ancora. la prima impressione è quella di una versione più leggera ed esotica di mitsouko, più floreale che cyphre. nonostante la complessità fiorita dell'accordo con note di giacinto, gelsomino, iris, ylang ylang, l'effetto generale è per me molto confortevole. il profumo si inaugura con note frizzanti e verdi, per lo più floreali, appunto, e leggermente aldeidiche. la "verdezza" (non so come altro chiamarla!) però viene ammorbidita, nel tempo, grazie a sentori speziati ma soprattutto resinosi (galbano, ambra, patchouli) con un fondo decisamente legnoso (vetiver, sandalo). come gran parte dei profumi di vecchio stampo, anche qui mi trovo di fronte ad una complessità elegantissima e perfettamente dosata, molto distante dalle attuali fragranze astratte e generiche, che richiede tempo e concentrazione nel tentativo di risolvere un puzzle olfattivo così variegato. e comunque, sì, la sensazione evocata dal nome è proprio quella di trovarsi su un'isola, in una spiaggia (come le foto della pubblicità anni 70) prossima ad una foresta lussureggiante. eccellente.

This was the first fragrance I purchased for myself as a teen in High School. I worked part time at Eaton's dept. store and saved up to buy a bottle. All my friends wore either Andrade by Lise Watier (long discontinued) or some kind of Avon stolen from their mom. I stopped wearing it when I started working after finishing College, and went straight for the Disco club frags of the era, Opium, Cinnabar, for night time, and daytime I wore Chanel 19, and in later 80s, I got hooked on Pierre Cardin CHOC in the daytime, and KL Karl Lagerfeld, gosh I sure miss that one... I just bought a small 50 ml edt of Fidji from Shoppers drug mart for $21.99 cdn, I haven't seen it in years and so I couldn't pass it up. I find it quite pleasant upon applying 2 sprays each arm, and very much the same as I remember it, floral but greenish/sharp. Naturally, as with all other reformulations of this kind, it does not last and becomes a skin scent within an hour. But, it is lovely, unique, and I will use it this summer, liberally, in rotation with my Chanel 19 and PR Calandre. It was my signature for my 20's. Now in my early 60's, I am having a sort of re-birth, now that my children are grown and away, I am blessed to have found a new life with a new (younger) man, a new job, and I have the financial freedom to splurge on myself once in a while. Everything is good, and I smell great, thanks to Fidji edt.

fidji is a timeless classic ..one of my all time favorites.. and a master piece....its so classy ..fine.. light ..yet full of wonder..as it itakes yoi in to a magical jjeourny in to a mysterious island.. fidji is an island name as you all know..fidji is so sophisticated.. has a strong character of is own.. its unique..its super balanced.. all its notes are in perfect harmony with one another.. as if they play a perfect symphony..in Harmon.. it reminds me of my favourite aunties.. as a child, i grew up smelling it every where.. day and night.. where ever there were family gatherings, and special occasions.. whenever they got dresses, and put their beautiful bronze make up ..it was the final touch to their elegance...fidgi is truly a statement of elegance...finess.. and femininity.. yet for an independent.. confident woman who is so sure of her self and her self worth and self esteem..its not a crowded sent..very pure.. simple.. and elegant ..not over whelmingly so ..its a free spirited scent that portrays unconstitutional love,giving and forgiveness..its a perfume made for mothers lovers working women doctors educators..for every true passionate woman who has a story and a passion and a mission in this life..its an endless love story that carries within its notes some of the most beautiful memories .. rating 4.7 out of 5

Vintage mini edt - LOVE. When you're wanting that slap in the face from the old days of real perfume.. this will do it. I must be in the mood, and I am today. I'd love to try the newer one, in a spray bottle I'm sure would be more kind as a light "mist" would likely be all one needs of this power house on a regular day, but that is not how I'm wearing it today, having dropped big splashes layered over more big splashes of vintage Magie Noire edt (another vintage mini).. today I mean business. Not the kind of business where I'll be out exposed to other humans, today I need to get things done at home and wearing this all for me with no one to offend and nobody else in mind. Only me. I so wish these were edp. Even as it is, neighbours may smell me from next door. If I get a bang at the door I'll let yas know. Incase they don't, I will top up with both these gems in the next few hours to be sure. Not that I'll need it, but for good measure. When diving head first into deep cleaning/packing/organizing, one must arm herself first with a strong woman scent, and today I am double armed with Fidgi & Magie Noire. Talk about powerful! EDIT: before heading off into the kitchen, I've also layered on Cacherel's Anais Anais edt (another vintage mini) - for good measure. Because why the heck not?!

Galbanum is one of my favorite green notes. So fidji is my cup of tea as floral chypres concern! Today was my lucky day. Was able to test a 35 years old tester vial in mint condition. Opening was the most resinous green galbanum i've ever smelled. But is not bitter, is much well rounded by the citruses. After half an hour galbanum is settled down- always present- and hyacinth, aldehydes and iris give an airiness to the composition. Guess that "tropical" character of fidji is somehow all the notes above in perfect balance plus some nuances of tuberose. In the drydown, after several hours some spice and woods are there, maybe some moss and vetiver but the astonishing factor imho is that galbanum, even subdued, is always there! So if you love that note, well...you must try it. I believe is not a safe blind buy. If you got the chance you should take a skin test. Longevity is excellent- 7 to 10 hours although after 3-4h is close to the skin. New formula has the top notes considerably toned down it goes straight to the middle notes and stays more linear. Of course longevity is moderate. All in all still is a winner for me!

If one were to encounter a fragrance named "Fidji" they'd likely imagine tropical exoticism, crystal blue beaches and warm sands, and the scent profile would reflect this. However, perfumer Josephine Catapano and Guy Laroche seemed to have other Fijian topography in mind: earthy tropical green vegetation and mossy, wet mountains. In a way, this may be more the traveler than the tourist. It opens with aldehydes, galbanum, and hyacinths and could just as much evoke an English garden, but the mid-stage does bring forth an ylang-ylang and tuberose, feeling a bit more hothouse floral, and perhaps even a bit jungle-like if they were to push their imagination. However, the overwhelming impression is that of a forest in the fond: plenty of oakmoss, vetiver, and patchouli to render any sunny cabana irrelevant as its all moist rainforest, and there is actually more of that to explore on the island than that of the resort paradise. Dense, wet, tall canopies, and much flora and fauna to explore. Name and concept aside, Fidji is iconic, if not entirely reflective of its time, and deserves a spot in the perfume hall of fame.

I smelled Fidji on a blotter at an event about female noses that the Osmothèque put on in Paris. It was one of the stand outs of the entire presentation, and it lasted so long on my blotter that I ordered a bottle online as soon as I got home to California. I still love it. It reminds me of Giorgio of Beverly Hills, but not so much that I regret having a bottle of each. The Fidji tuberose is more furry, more green, more languid and casual than Giorgio's sexy power suit tuberose/white flower bomb. I'm still getting to know Fidji, but it is so easy to wear and so reminiscent of sunny days at the beach without smelling like other 'beachy' scents that can be too literal, smelling of salty notes or coconut and sun tan lotion. I read other people's reviews comparing Fidji to suntan lotions, and I'd like to smell those to compare, but for me, I get a more abstract beach experience; gold heat, dappled shadows, turquoise breezes, and a private, sexy secret. My only complaint is its lack of projection and longevity. Otherwise, I'm pretty ready for my fling with Fidji.

As I approach my 70th birthday next week--I find myself on a scent nostalgia trip that the universe seems to be enabling me to take!. I discovered Fidji when I was a college student living in Pittsburgh. Along with Charlie--Avon's Field Flowers, Ricci's L'air du Temps, and Schulton's long vanished "Wild Meadow"--this scent was one of my go to's at that time--in fact I still have a tiny squirt or so of my original EDT spray in my ridiculous collection of perfumes! My college roommate also fell in love with it and used up half my bottle before I hid it from her! Well--this week I ordered a new bottle from Zulilly and it arrived today. I can do a comparison with my old EDT and this new re-launch ( Box says "Guy Laroche Paris" and made in France--distributed through Canada. ) It's still the scent I remember--green--fresh--floral and very dreamy--but it does fade off the skin faster--( Maybe because my skin is almost 70 and not 20 anymore?) In any case--I will save it for spring and summer and be thrilled to feel like I'm in my 20's again--if only in my head!!

This is what I call a sophisticated Sexy scent! Absolutely love it! Scent profile- I can scent most of the notes described (unlike most Perfumes released since 2000 which usually contain nothing but mostly 100% aroma chemicals leaving no resemblance to the hyacinth or bergamot or any scent usually described). Fidgi in contrast contains a high percentage of natural plant extracts & some aroma ingredients hence the scent profile is more clean,vivid & a cut above many designer Perfumers. Notes- on first application I get a clean, fresh, green note, followed swiftly with hints of hyacinth,bergamot,galbanum,there is a sense of creamy musky note that underpins the top note ,could be from the sandalwood & musk. Various stages I can detect hints of tuberose & spicy undercurrent. Then I get hints of soft white florals mixed with something green like Jasmine with hints of oakmoss- simply the best . No one makes perfumes like this anymore,literally oozing in elegance, clean, complex,sensual scent. Love it! My teen daughter loves it too.

Im amazed at how I have taken to this oldie but a goodie. Hyacinth and aldehydes are usually notes I steer well clear of. No one is more surprised than me. Its got so many notes in (like many vintage fragrances) that Im surprised the kitchen sink isnt listed! Yep, I can pick up on everything pretty much in the same order as everyone else on here. The result though is wonderful. It sweeps you away to a tropical beach somewhere in the South Pacific. Its fresh, a touch spicey yet there is some sweetness and warmth to never make it smell harsh or screechy. Wipe away any thoughts of similarity with the ubquitious modern "beach" fragrances with lots of sweet coconut, tiare and frangipani. This is pure class. This has gone straight into my top 5 summer fragrance. Im just sorry I didnt try it much sooner. Do test it NOW! If you can find the Parfum then even better. Sillage and longevuty moderate.

I came across this perfume on an ad in a 1969 vintage issue of vogue America. i became intrigued and some weeks later i came across a small little bottle of this in a thrift store. Oh my god ! Oh, this smells soapy and tropical but not in the modern coconut piña colada sugar explosion way. It smells like the idea of the tropics. not just something tropical. Just what i needed! Really overjoyed with this scent, truly. Its so soapy and aldehydic while also being so green and hyacinth forward, almost like you are standing in a beachy peninsula that has been overrun with lilacs and hyacinths. Evokes false memories of me as a 1960s housewife in a yellow bathing suit with dandelion plant prints all over, meanwhile my husband sits in a rayon-polyester beach chair next to me in Fiji as the sun begins to fade over the horizon. i truly understand why its called Fidji. LOVE.

Just when I thought that there wasn't an iris perfume for me (as I am finding the more contemporary iris notes somewhat synthetic and redolent of plastic dolls), I encounter a sample of Fidji amongst my stash and am enthusiastically enlivened. Fidji opens with the most heavenly elixir of flowers, magnificently evocative of a tropical sunset: the perfume of a stunning spectrum of flowers warmed by balmy rays throughout the day and beginning to cool as the sun hits the horizon. It's hard to summarize the breathtaking beauty of this magical introduction. As the wonderful nectar dries, iris and violet make a soft, hazy showing and release a miasm of powder, tinted with green and slightly indolic. Woody with a delicate aroma of clove, a little soapy like a golden bar of bitter, ambery soap. Fidji is gently narcotic and has a way of simmering your soul.

When things are done with passion, one doesn't have to worry about the results so the beauty of it is that way results come in an unexpected and pure authentic form. And they turn magnificient. That's how this wonderful scent from the past has been created. With passion. The excitement of the process and the pleasant anticipation, not merely the running after the goal (which often in perfumery of today means only making lots of money). The elegance and complexity of Fidji is capable of captivating and charming almost everyone, taking granted that one enjoys sophisticated, sensual florals. As Kate Bush puts it in her song: "You turn roses into gold", and all of the other notes for that matter. I still have a vintage formula so I'm taking about the old Fidji. Yes, a wonderful masterpiece which brings you lots of compliments...

Fidji, a floral-chypre which does not remotely resemble the sunny tropical island after which it was named, and yet remains one of the finest in its category. I am lucky enough to be smelling a decant from an original vintage bottle, and heavens above it is stunning. I am a huge fan of oakmoss heavy scents. And this precious liquid is like a deep green forest floor, mossy and earthy with a notably bitter, almost liquorice-y galbanum in addition. It slowly becomes more dry and rooty, with just a whisper of clean flowers, amongst a shimmer of refreshing aldehydes and soft warm spices. The resulting scent is fabulous. To me, it feels like the lovechild of Miss Dior and L’Air du Temps, a combination I didn’t realise I needed in my life. I do not know how the modern formulation compares, but it’s so cheap I will take the risk.

Another blast from the beautiful past. This really is lovely stuff. In summer I like to wear l'air du temps during the day and then top it up with Fidji in the evenings as they seem related. (Get me! You can't buy class.) Fidji is less soapy than l'air du temps and is a beautifully blended floral. I can't tell most notes from a hole in the head but the flowers here are so soft and creamy, not like most of the offensive indolic flowers preening on top of a lot of fragrances. I don't really think we have any business smelling like a flower in general, but with Fidji I have to cave and admit their beauty. It is womanly. Why has it been banished to the drawers in the shops while the latest Marc Jacobs and Thierry Mugler get all the attention. Is it being discontinued. Oh fragrance world. Thou art fickle.

I completely agree that the original Fidji, of which I have easily gone through at least 3+ bottles of various sizes, including one brought back from Paris (that's France y'all), as a birthday gift is divine. There has never been another fragrance like it that I can think of, and it truly rocks anyone's world you may happen to pass by when worn in a warm climatic environment. However, I am in total agreement with Jasmasid about "Fidji Du Soir", Laroche's evening version of this classic fragrance; it should be (and maybe it was) declared illegal...it is Fidji to 25th power: sultry, sexy, seductive and magical, and did we mention that "Fidji Du Soir" was infused with gold dust!!!??? Oh...mon...Dieu! Si...où est-il maintenant??? M. Laroche, se il vous plaît le ramener à nous. Merci...

The vintage color you can see in the small picture group on the right. It's the color I remember. My mom wore this throughout my childhood, in the '70's and '80s it was her favorite. Think of it, some 20-30 years this juice remained the same, I never once heard mom complaining. As opposed to what happens now to these masterpiece frags. I know I'm biased, this one I really love, it smells like mom when I was little. PS: IFRA, hear this: my mother is in her '70s now, and she is just fine. She wore this a lot and never got as much as an itch from it. Butchering the frags for our health's sake is bull*t and you know it. I no longer buy butchered frags, a lot of guys out there I think are doing the same. It's your loss, IFRA.