Neutral Reviews of Cool Water by Davidoff
After reading many of the other comments, apparently there's an original formula, and a "new/current" formula, and as usual in these cases, the original I read is the better one. That said, I've only smelled the "new" formula I guess, because I smelled it for the first time tonight, and don't like it so much.
In fact, I borderline hate it, but there's still something there that maybe I don't hate, so I gave it a Neutral rating. Perhaps it would grow on me in time, but I doubt I'll give it that chance, with all the other great scents out there to wear instead.
Also, to be fair, I'm basing my review only on the smell of the aftershave cream, which I applied to the top of my hand, but it was from a Davidoff Cool Water gift set at Sam's Club that had the aftershave cream, some other cream, and a bottle of the cologne, and of the 4 packages left, ALL of them had the bottle of cologne missing; I assume stolen, so I had no other choice, but I'm sure the cologne smells the same as the aftershave cream.
To me, this has a very sharp, "green", flowery but chemical-ly, cheap smell. Almost makes me nauseous in all honesty.
I generally like all men's colognes to some extent, but this one? I think I'll take a pass.
In fact, I borderline hate it, but there's still something there that maybe I don't hate, so I gave it a Neutral rating. Perhaps it would grow on me in time, but I doubt I'll give it that chance, with all the other great scents out there to wear instead.
Also, to be fair, I'm basing my review only on the smell of the aftershave cream, which I applied to the top of my hand, but it was from a Davidoff Cool Water gift set at Sam's Club that had the aftershave cream, some other cream, and a bottle of the cologne, and of the 4 packages left, ALL of them had the bottle of cologne missing; I assume stolen, so I had no other choice, but I'm sure the cologne smells the same as the aftershave cream.
To me, this has a very sharp, "green", flowery but chemical-ly, cheap smell. Almost makes me nauseous in all honesty.
I generally like all men's colognes to some extent, but this one? I think I'll take a pass.
Very easy to wear! Clean, fresh, and aquatic. The bottle definitely matches the scent. A classic! I was lucky enough to come across a vendor who is selling brand new and sealed boxes of the original formula which comes across as more green and piney. Previously, I wore the updated Cool Water which is what we see being sold all over the place now.
Fragrances in general tend to die pretty quickly on me and this is no exception. Within an hour, I can't even smell it even if I sprayed it ten times on myself. That is my only complaint about this fragrance.
Other than that, it's totally safe. If I can't decide what to wear, this is usually what I'm grabbing.
Fragrances in general tend to die pretty quickly on me and this is no exception. Within an hour, I can't even smell it even if I sprayed it ten times on myself. That is my only complaint about this fragrance.
Other than that, it's totally safe. If I can't decide what to wear, this is usually what I'm grabbing.
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What is there to say about Cool Water that hasn't already been said a thousand times already? Professor Xavier might wear this (he would never wear GIT) on a summer day while mutants are at peace with the humans, but you'd never smell a student wear it at the Academy. It immediately evokes fatherliness, even if that's not its original intent. I'm personally very neutral to this. I sometimes wear it on casual summer days, but modern blues are more on trend. It doesn't hurt to own a bottle, they can be had dirt cheap at discounters online or at rack stores. Or you could just swipe the bottle from your dad's bedroom. He'll get another one for his birthday anyway.
Really 'nice'. Absolutely no rough edges, fresh and a bit refreshingly clean and 'minty'. Christmas gift, or for a boyfriend gift galore, hence it's a bit of a 'faberge brut' but for 90s kids. I would never feel comfortable wearing this, now that i have turned 60, unless the shower broke and my cheap deodorant ran out.
It's an excellent scent, well crafted by master perfumer Pierre Bourdon and it was a genre defining fragrance. You should buy this fragrance if you want to smell like generic fabric softener. Herein lies the problem, Cool Water has become a victim of its own success. So many manufacturers of scented products have emulated the scent that it now smells just like so many shower gels, soaps, ironing sprays, fabric softeners etc.. Because it is a classic fragrance many collectors will want to have it in their collection, as I currently do. But these days there are aquatics out there that are more fresh, distinctive and modern than Cool Water. If you're looking for an aquatic cheapie it's fine, but even then I would suggest that you give Nautica Voyage a try for something more fresh and contemporary. So overall a great fragrance that in the late 80s or 1990s I would have given a thumbs up. But now I feel more neutral about it. Great in it's day but better options out there now.
I traveled to Vietnam in 2008 with two of my friends, and we were going out one night. I hadn't thought of bringing any fragrances on that trip and, to be honest, I really wasn't into fragrances at that time, as I only owned Acqua Di Gio and Code from Armani. As we were about to leave the hotel, I could smell this fresh, somewhat aquatic scent on my friend, which I found quite noticeable.
I asked him for a spray, and liked it. It performed quite well in the super hot, ultra humid Vietnamese climate. When I flew back home, I got a bottle of this, and was surprised at how low the price was. I wore that fragrance for some time, especially during summer nights. It did not seem to perform nearly as well as it did in Vietnam, though.
Cool Water has good sillage for maybe an hour or so, but it quickly becomes a skin scent. Its longevity is below average, which usually had me use another spray during the night.
It's a pretty bread and butter fragrance, which may come in handy every now and then. I don't wear it anymore, but honestly, I still have to give this one credit for being one of the first few fragrances that I ever bought and enjoyed.
It is a cheapie, and I suppose for anyone who's just a casual user of fragrances, looking for a good value, this is a blue scent that you can wear occasionally on summer nights. It is not particularly refined and it definitely smells somewhat dated. Therefore, I'd probably say this is better suited for a middle aged man at this point, meant to be worn occasionally.
I asked him for a spray, and liked it. It performed quite well in the super hot, ultra humid Vietnamese climate. When I flew back home, I got a bottle of this, and was surprised at how low the price was. I wore that fragrance for some time, especially during summer nights. It did not seem to perform nearly as well as it did in Vietnam, though.
Cool Water has good sillage for maybe an hour or so, but it quickly becomes a skin scent. Its longevity is below average, which usually had me use another spray during the night.
It's a pretty bread and butter fragrance, which may come in handy every now and then. I don't wear it anymore, but honestly, I still have to give this one credit for being one of the first few fragrances that I ever bought and enjoyed.
It is a cheapie, and I suppose for anyone who's just a casual user of fragrances, looking for a good value, this is a blue scent that you can wear occasionally on summer nights. It is not particularly refined and it definitely smells somewhat dated. Therefore, I'd probably say this is better suited for a middle aged man at this point, meant to be worn occasionally.
Ohhh Cool Water. My high school scent of choice brings back nostalgic memories related to chilly football games, pickup trucks, and a complete lack of discretion for cologne projection.
Blast 2 or 3 (or 6) sprays of this dark blue magic and the soapy clean open slowly turns into a synthetic hot mess of musk and aquatic-ey woods recently described as "Most Mens Bodywash".
While you could do much worse, I think my biggest hangup with Cool Water is how generic it smells these days, similar to those $1 sprays you could buy in a mall bathroom. While it may have been trendy and cutting edge upon debut (was it?), nowadays you have smelled Davidoff (or its dozens of knockoffs and inspired-bys) on dozens and dozens of gentlemen in various different inexpensive soaps, sprays, aftershaves, etc.
Not bad, not great, too forgettable to put in the "Nostalgia" pile, but maybe best as an inexpensive weekend scent that doesn't take much thought.
Blast 2 or 3 (or 6) sprays of this dark blue magic and the soapy clean open slowly turns into a synthetic hot mess of musk and aquatic-ey woods recently described as "Most Mens Bodywash".
While you could do much worse, I think my biggest hangup with Cool Water is how generic it smells these days, similar to those $1 sprays you could buy in a mall bathroom. While it may have been trendy and cutting edge upon debut (was it?), nowadays you have smelled Davidoff (or its dozens of knockoffs and inspired-bys) on dozens and dozens of gentlemen in various different inexpensive soaps, sprays, aftershaves, etc.
Not bad, not great, too forgettable to put in the "Nostalgia" pile, but maybe best as an inexpensive weekend scent that doesn't take much thought.
This fragrance turns some heads in Kochi, India but they don't stay turned the way Boss Bottled and CK Eternity turns heads.
Smells of deodorant and EDT fill up the house after spraying on in the bathroom within the first few weeks after opening so be careful with this scent if you have sensitive noses in your house.
Smells of deodorant and EDT fill up the house after spraying on in the bathroom within the first few weeks after opening so be careful with this scent if you have sensitive noses in your house.
When I spray this, I wonder if my olfactory system is incorrectly wired. To me, it smells entirely unlike the usual descriptions. I don't find it even remotely "fresh" (citrus, lavender, herbs, marine...): rather, it's almost immediately sweet (amber? musk?) and vaguely spicy (coriander? sandalwood?). It's not unpleasant. But it's definitely not "fresh" to me. Maybe my nose is broke.
I never liked it or disliked it
I first came across it in 1994... This is a fresh, non citrus smell, not sweet, very inoffensive...
Smells like deodorant sprays in a gym changing rooms
It is ok for casual day-time wear, particularly in the summer.
I bought it again in 2017 and guess what? It is in my gym bag and I sometimes put on
5/10
I first came across it in 1994... This is a fresh, non citrus smell, not sweet, very inoffensive...
Smells like deodorant sprays in a gym changing rooms
It is ok for casual day-time wear, particularly in the summer.
I bought it again in 2017 and guess what? It is in my gym bag and I sometimes put on
5/10
Poppinj's review is pretty on the nose. At the time, Cool Water sent everything that came before it to the old folks home. But now, despite Cool Water still having a "freshness" to it, it not longer feels new.
Supposedly this has quite a bit of Dihydromyrcenol in it. I guess that's why it attacks my sense of smell so sharply, and gives me a headache.
This is a wonderfully unique style of fragrance (if you don't count GIT), but it's far too sharp for me to enjoy it.
I think it's something to be enjoyed in the context of the era it came out. It was a great response to the typical men's fragrances at the time: Polo, Quorum, Drakkar Noir, etc.
Today though? It's like it's trying to beat you over the head with how fresh and water-like it is. It's an overly strong aquatic.
Supposedly this has quite a bit of Dihydromyrcenol in it. I guess that's why it attacks my sense of smell so sharply, and gives me a headache.
This is a wonderfully unique style of fragrance (if you don't count GIT), but it's far too sharp for me to enjoy it.
I think it's something to be enjoyed in the context of the era it came out. It was a great response to the typical men's fragrances at the time: Polo, Quorum, Drakkar Noir, etc.
Today though? It's like it's trying to beat you over the head with how fresh and water-like it is. It's an overly strong aquatic.
Sniffed this in passing at a perfume store earlier. It's probably a very great frag, but unfortunately for that sales lady, I'm a proud owner of Creed GIT and although I can understand the comparison, this just doesn't even come close to GIT in terms of quality and sophistication. It comes off as cheap, synthetic, and kitchen cleaner -esque to my nose. Call me a pretentious Creed fanboy if you want, I just really wasn't impressed by this.
I remember when in the late 1980's a new breed of men's fragrances were emerging. Aromatic aquatic fresh fougeres (AAFF) were led by New West, Cool Water and Eternity.
With this new class of fragrances, all of the previous traditional men's 80's powerhouse scents were considered old, heavy and suddenly out of style. The effect of these AAFF scents continues to this day and have been rigorously copied and campaigned by virtually every designer and fragrance house on this planet. Almost to the point of overkill in my opinion.
The extremely gifted Pierre Bourdon was the nose responsible for Cool Water. Just amazing that only seven years earlier he was also the creator of that 80's powerhouse Kouros; another fragrance the defined the earlier portion of that decade.
I like Cool Water but I'm also reminded that every guy back in the late 1980's and early 1990's wore this one to death, hence the neutral rating. Along with Eternity, you could not go anywhere in public without inhaling this from a stranger in a contained space. The subways, airports, malls, clubs and bars reeked of these AAFF variations for years to follow. It's almost as if in one fell "SWOOP", the dominance of New West/Cool Water/Eternity killed everything in its path between the years of 1988-1996. Gone were the heavy exotic creations like Patou pour Homme, Jean Desprez Versailles, Derby by Guerlain as manufacturers and fragrance houses rushed to join the AAFF bandwagon.
It's been mentioned numerous times by Basenotes reviewers that Cool Water is an "older guys scent", or perhaps what your "Uncle, Dad or Grand-Dad" wears. This makes me laugh, as perhaps all those "Club Kids" who wore Cool Water/Eternity back in the late 80's and 90's are now settled down with families and they are still sporting the same scent, refusing to let go.....
With this new class of fragrances, all of the previous traditional men's 80's powerhouse scents were considered old, heavy and suddenly out of style. The effect of these AAFF scents continues to this day and have been rigorously copied and campaigned by virtually every designer and fragrance house on this planet. Almost to the point of overkill in my opinion.
The extremely gifted Pierre Bourdon was the nose responsible for Cool Water. Just amazing that only seven years earlier he was also the creator of that 80's powerhouse Kouros; another fragrance the defined the earlier portion of that decade.
I like Cool Water but I'm also reminded that every guy back in the late 1980's and early 1990's wore this one to death, hence the neutral rating. Along with Eternity, you could not go anywhere in public without inhaling this from a stranger in a contained space. The subways, airports, malls, clubs and bars reeked of these AAFF variations for years to follow. It's almost as if in one fell "SWOOP", the dominance of New West/Cool Water/Eternity killed everything in its path between the years of 1988-1996. Gone were the heavy exotic creations like Patou pour Homme, Jean Desprez Versailles, Derby by Guerlain as manufacturers and fragrance houses rushed to join the AAFF bandwagon.
It's been mentioned numerous times by Basenotes reviewers that Cool Water is an "older guys scent", or perhaps what your "Uncle, Dad or Grand-Dad" wears. This makes me laugh, as perhaps all those "Club Kids" who wore Cool Water/Eternity back in the late 80's and 90's are now settled down with families and they are still sporting the same scent, refusing to let go.....
Initially when I sprayed on Davidoff Cool Water I was surprised on how minty it is. Initially you get a minty aquatic scent which lasts for about 3 hours. It slowly dies down around the 2-3 hour mark but is still noticeable. As time goes on the scent slightly transforms into a musky scent with slight mint. It reminds me of what older men would wear in the 80's and 90's. Which is kind of ironic because the scent was designed in 1988. Some people have said it is timeless, for me not at all. This is a scent that would be worn when working out, running, or any outdoor physical activity since the minty scent would be noticeable.
Great first 20 minutes, no wonder it is a best seller, but then settles down into stale cheapness and you realise you get what you pay for. Lots of ambroxan in the base which I guess is a failed attempt at replicating Creed GIT's ambergris.
It is much better than a lot of the drugstore cheapies so I have to give it credit. If your uncle was wearing this to a Sunday bbq you would be grateful considering the other options he had to chose from at this price point.
As for the resemblance to GIT, only in those first 20 minutes. And to be fair, even then it is not at the level of GIT's spectacular, sparkling natural opening.
It is much better than a lot of the drugstore cheapies so I have to give it credit. If your uncle was wearing this to a Sunday bbq you would be grateful considering the other options he had to chose from at this price point.
As for the resemblance to GIT, only in those first 20 minutes. And to be fair, even then it is not at the level of GIT's spectacular, sparkling natural opening.
A landmark fragrance with a great freshness but the main reservation I have is the dosage of ambroxan. Anyone who uses cool water repeatedly will be marked out by this basenote as it accumulates, giving a smell rather like old cigars.
I resisted getting this fragrance because it seemed every male and some females had this. When finally getting this i was surprised at the poor longevity, it seems to fizzle out after 2 to 3 hours. I love the Orange and Sandalwood, and feel that it smells similar to Champion though goes stale at the end. However in common with Champion this does not last long. The opening is very nice and very masculine, it is worth getting to add to your collection. However be warned, it seems most guys are wearing this, it is not original and that is the drawback.
Totally teenage and obvious, takes me back to a younger time where things were more simple.
Not something I'd ever wear to a special occasion, but as a daytime fragrance for going to the post office - fine.
Not something I'd ever wear to a special occasion, but as a daytime fragrance for going to the post office - fine.
I used to like this until I got into Green Irish Tweed. The drydown is flat and herbal in a bad way.
Genre: Fougère
Does anybody really need another review of Cool Water? Beats me, but here are my two (s)cents:
Yes, it smells a lot like Green Irish Tweed, especially for the first half hour or so. And yes, it smells a little bit more obviously chemical. It's a relatively linear scent on me, and the drydown does not arrive at the familiar Creed millésime base.
It's pleasant enough, if somewhat cheap smelling, but what works against it most is that it's over-used and too often imitated. In all fairness I should forgive Cool Water for spawning so many inane progeny, but I'm not sure that I'm a big enough person.
Does anybody really need another review of Cool Water? Beats me, but here are my two (s)cents:
Yes, it smells a lot like Green Irish Tweed, especially for the first half hour or so. And yes, it smells a little bit more obviously chemical. It's a relatively linear scent on me, and the drydown does not arrive at the familiar Creed millésime base.
It's pleasant enough, if somewhat cheap smelling, but what works against it most is that it's over-used and too often imitated. In all fairness I should forgive Cool Water for spawning so many inane progeny, but I'm not sure that I'm a big enough person.
Its clearly that Cool Water has suffered from the latest ban on oakmoss. Why Turin still gives it 5 stars is a mystery to me. This scent smells too harsh now, not only in its top, where thats not a big problem, but also in its mid and base now. Gone is the sparkle of the radiating thick softness of oakmoss that was needed to put the overdosis of dihydromyrcenol into balance. The bone-structure is still there, but it lacks the beautifull soft fabric of a perfect fitted dress that covered up the raw edges of the body. Gone is the shine of elegance, the beauty. I guess this shows how important the raw aromatics of natural origin still are in the modern formula's of perfumes. I cant give it thumbs down because the original Cool Water was so freaking (refreshing) original. Some memories are hard to ban...(yes, im from the 80's area..!)
The opening is very strong and harsh. Overpowering and unpleasant. Like metal and SALT, and very synthetic.
About an hour later it smells fantastic. Like
Pros: great price, lovely dry-down
cons: harsh opening that lasts ~an hour. Lasts FOR-EV-ER. So long, in fact, that I think it is negative.
About an hour later it smells fantastic. Like
Pros: great price, lovely dry-down
cons: harsh opening that lasts ~an hour. Lasts FOR-EV-ER. So long, in fact, that I think it is negative.
Fresh & Green Great scent! I did the side by side comparison with GIT. Loved both - GIT was more green and Cool Water was more aquatic, but they are similar. Close enough that I wouldn't buy both. If I decide to purchase one of the two, it would probably be Cool Water.Pros: Green Without Being OverbearingCons: A Bit Harsh in the Opening
I wore this in high school back in the late 90's and early 2000's. I loved it back then and it was very popular with my classmates. As a sophmore I had an idiotic teacher who forbade us from wearing Cool Water in her classroom because according to her it smelled like marijuana. I wore it anyway and she would make me sit outside. Long story short the administration sided with her and I had to cease wearing this fragrance for the semester. If I had known my rights and social networking had existed to the level it does now I would have owned that school today. Anyway I remember Cool Water being a projection and longevity monster back then. It would last through the school day and beyond. A refreshing mint but at the same time smoky musky scent. I didn't wear Cool Water for years and back in 2010 purchased a bottle from Macy's. It was still the same scent I remembered and loved from back in the day but no longer the projection and longevity monster. In fact after 15 minutes I could not even smell it with my nose pressed to my skin. Alas I had to return the bottle. Davidoff I guess is cutting corners to bring the price down even further for the masses. I prefer to pay more for higher quality fragrance. Maybe Ill try Cool Water again in the near future to see if it has improved. Until then I can only give a neutral rating.