Reviews of Cool Water (1988)
by Davidoff

I just can't rip this. In the early to mid 90s I wore this exclusively and no matter what people say this cologne alone is the champion of the most compliments I ever received as women wither hugged me or wouldn't let go of me. That is all I can say. It has been years since I broke away but there are times I wonder if I'm too old to go back because it worked. I tested GIT and it is very similar. GIT is a little richer on how it drys down but not much to me to make a $200 difference.

It's a fresh floral/fruity fragrance, I'd even say It's a pretty much wearable light fougere. A few can complain about its synthetic character, but its major problem is the ubiquity. You can't be "original" or "unique" with Cool Water, that's for sure...
But I don't think CW is so linear as people usually say. As it dries down, I can notice an earthy smell that makes the scent a bit heavier. It's curious that almost no one mentions it. Is it my body chemistry?!

Always a nice smell to use once in a while when there is no special ocasion or anything...

This has been my signature fragrance for years. So long in fact, that I've grown almost bored with it. It is an amazing scent on my skin though, and apparently on many others as well seeing its popularity. I don't wear this one as frequently as I used to any more, it's pretty much my "I can't decide what to wear today" scent. I'll also wear it on days that I'm looking from a surefire compliment from the ladies, because this one never fails to receive attention on me. A safe bet for anyone looking for an Aquatic, it's so popular that I can't see it offending anyone when applied in moderation. It has great longevity and decent sillage, and will leave you smelling fresh and clean.

I like what this fragrance does. Fair enough, it's very synthetic, to the point of reminding me of shampoo when I first started wearing it, but synthetic or not this is a nice scent. It 'performs' well too - by that I mean that it lasts long, and travells far, but is not at all forceful. I guess you could call it a great all rounder, works anywhere, but apparently some of the later cool water fragrences (especially deep) are better, so I think I'll try them next time.

how can anyone not like this cologne seriously? This cologne is so clean smelling like new clothes, a cold shower, and a fresh haircut. Girls still love this cologne so don't put it out just yet. I always keep a bottle of this in my wardrobe.

I wore Cool Water during my honeymoon in the Maldives in 1993 (yes I'm old)... I recently become reacquainted with it. I appreciate it more now. It's a fresh frag but it has sweet woody dry-down that is just fantastic for day wear. A classic!

The one that brought the concept of “fresh” to the top of the mass market. It is pretty much aquatic with its mint and marine notes, but it doesn’t go all the way as those that followed it did. Cool Water became extraordinarily successful, and it still is going strong. It’s one of those “pretty” fragrances—it has genuinely endearing accords, even if those accords have a strongly synthetic tang to them — especially the top notes. Cool Water stays linear and uncomplicated, and I think this linearity and lack of complexity have been major keys to its success. Its minty / green / herbal / wood accord is refreshing and amiable without being at all challenging. Its aquatic note is unique and highly recognizable and, its uniqueness and recognizability places it in the long line of those winners of the mass market battle — Old Spice, Brut, Polo, Drakkar Noir, Eternity, CK One, Joop!, Acqua di Gio, A*men, Fierce… all singular (when they were introduced), highly recognizable, endearingly nonchallenging, and competently marketed (Okay, I’ll admit that A*men is challenging). Actually, Cool Water is neither a bad scent nor an artistic achievement. It is and was a moneymaker and it is and was a memory maker for millions of youth heading out into the world. That makes it important — and, no, it doesn’t challenge me, and it is far too youthful for me to be interested in it, but I enjoy how it smells...

Playing off of Hugh Parson's Blue cologne, I felt it would be proper to review Cool Water, since they're both aquatics and can be compared nicely... and, I guess you could make the pun of it being a "fresh" comparison, since it's back to back

Speaking of fresh, Cool Water was introduced in 1988 in an attempt to literally be fresh and crisp amid the leathery, spicy, manly colognes of its time. The effect it had on the fragrance world was colossal; left and right perfumers were cooking up scents to match Cool Water... but they failed. People simply loved Cool Water, and everywhere, everyone was wearing it -- and everyone loved it. Thusly, as it skyrocketed in popularity to one of the most famous colognes in the world, it was clearly one of the most attractive and easily worn. However, we all know time takes its toll on things of the past, and Cool Water is no different, so the prevalent question here is: How does Cool Water stack up to the aquatics today?

Fast-forward to today, close to twenty years after Cool Water was debuted, and take a look around. How many aquatics can you name just off the top of your head? How many can you discover after five minutes of googling? How about ten minutes? Twenty? An hour? You see, the problem with Cool Water does not lie in the formula -- it's a vintage formula, as beautiful now as it ever was; the problem lies in the perception people have of it. There always has to be a comparison to another (99% of the time it's a newer fragrance than Cool Water) cologne, and unfortunately enough, Davidoff's brilliance is often mocked.

People are often pessimistic, saying that it's too synthetic, or it smells too bland, but take a close look at the top, heart, and base notes of any aquatic scent post 2000. Heck, even go back to '98 if you want, or before that... and notice how most, if not all, aquatic fragrances in that era have bitter fruit/citrus top notes with herbal hearts and mossy/light woodsy bases (Those of you who read my Hugh Parson's review know a little more in-depth what I mean)... and now take a look at Cool Water. Lavender and Rosemary stare you right in the face as your top notes, with Oakmoss and Sandalwood as their heart notes, followed by Amber and Cedar as the base notes. Reading over these notes, in a fragrance introduced in 1988, leaves me speechless. For something that was a first of it's kind (Sorry GIT I'm completely ignoring you, this is Davidoff's moment!) the formula is near perfect. It's bewildering to think that people can say "bah well there's better scents out there". Yes, there are, just like a 2000 Porsche 911 is better than a 1988 Porsche 911, and a computer built in 2000 is going to spank some 1988 computer.

The point is, the world of aquatics has had a full twenty years to develop, so there are undoubtedly going to be fresher fragrances. If Cool Water is obsolete, then so is your Yatagan, Heritage, and Grey Flannel. But they're not; and Cool Water is an epic fragrance of immense beauty, representing the pinnacle of fragrant achievements in the 80s. Let's start by proving it.

First, let's dissuade disbelievers that Cool Water is "synthetic", by pointing out that since the top notes consist heavily of lavender and rosemary, they will blush out what little citrus/fruit influence there is -- which is just a touch of orange blossom. The peppermint and coriander, also subtle, fuse together to add a sparkle of herbal freshness to the lavender/rosemary combination, rather than levitating the orange blossom with a spicy sweetness. Had a bitter orange/strong peppermint combination been used, the scent would have been dominantly citrusy, and the lavender/rosemary combination would have to be softer. In turn, it would have been responsible for the blemishing of the severely bitter notes of the orange, and the suppressing of the extreme sharpness of the peppermint. Different quantities of ingredients, and setting priorities for notes, play a crucial role in how a fragrance is going to smell. Lavender and rosemary, of course, are not deep scents with character and zest; they are fresh, clean, and semi-transparent to the notes that lie underneath.

The result, then, is an incredibly smooth and neutral open, with herbal notation as opposed to a present-day standard of citrus/fruit, which is soft and mellow on the nose. The sequence proceeds to a soft-wood heart, which counters the fresh top-note herbal concoction slightly, and allows some depth to develop in the fragrance. Keep in mind there were no prior aquatic fragrances (I'm going to get slain for not mentioning GIT at this point, but oh well!) that Davidoff could base his aquatic scent off of, so the addition of sandalwood and oakmoss was clever. The herb-friendly oakmoss catches the fading top notes and accentuates them, while the soft sandalwood responsibly sets the base up for a proper woodsy transition; and this is where most people derive that Cool Water is synthetic. The fact that a transition is done so seamlessly gives the illusion that there is no change; while, in fact, the change is so subtle that it is not apparent until the base notes kick in. Cedar and amber, stronger woods with their own scent to carry, are prominent here in the base, as the oakmoss and sandalwood (transparently fused with top notes) fade away. However, to keep the smoothness, a friendly musk (remember, musk can be used to enhance the smell and life of other aromas) was used to provide the heart/top notes with a final breath, before fading away and leaving the scent dry, but not bitter, due to the relevant addition of yet another sandalwood note. From top to bottom, Cool Water transitions consistently, but does so in the shadows; where the effects will not be seen until the life of the notes dwindle to their vanishing points.

All in all, Cool Water is mathematically precise with ingredients, inspirationally diverse with composition, and logical as an entire fragrance. Assume the year was 1990, and the aquatic burst had not begun: would Cool Water not be a staple of the basenotes community? The amount of respect it would command would be IMMENSE. What's changed if the year is 2007? Why are there those who dislike the scent; claiming it to be synthetic, sub-par, obsolete, unoriginal, uncreative, uninspirational, cheap, and not worth the money? That kind of negativity demolishes a beautiful fragrance. Has the smell changed? Has the formula changed? Has anything of Cool Water changed? No, it hasn't. What's changed is the world around it, now brimming with other aquatics that are literally the children of Cool Water. Comparing the formula of any two colognes is ridiculous, because they both have their beauties, and they both have their flaws, but Cool Water is disregarded of any great characteristics, because somehow, the tendency in thinking is to assume that since there's newer aquatics out, it must be old and not worth the attention anymore. Following that logic, every scent is terrible, because five years down the road, something just a little bit better will come out and trump today's scent -- which will also be terrible, because in ANOTHER five years...

Cool Water, then, IS one of the best fragrances in the world, and it IS something that is unique, creative, and literally an artifact of change -- but, for that very reason, it has a major downfall. It's so popular and common, that people buying their first bottle of cologne buy Cool Water (Hell, it was my second bottle, and I blind bought it because it was famous) without taking the time to appreciate it as a fragrance. Because of the popularity it carries, the weight of the uneducated reviews pumped out by people who don't know which notes are which, and what notes add what effect, really tugs the perception of the scent down, and drags it through the mud. Cool Water deserves a 10/10, because it was impeccably made in a time where it was one of the first, and twenty years later, it still remains one of the most recognized and famous colognes. However, this is not a perfect world, and the grade must come from more than just a vintage factor. Still, I have no problem whatsoever giving this cologne a solid 8/10 -- only missing two points because it's lack of depth, even as one of the first aquatics. Let's face it, having a mainstream-defying scent in the 1980's doesn't give Davidoff an excuse to ignore crucial aspects of a cologne. In a time of spice and musk, the importance of having noticeable transitions was absolutely necessary, but done short-handedly in this scent.

This is a terrifically refreshing and delightful cologne. Like so many currently popular scents, it doesn't smell like anything in particular. To describe it, one is reduced to using abstracts, such as the name itself (it does indeed smell like how one would imagine "cool water" to smell, which is actually meaningless since cold water has no smell) or adjectives like "blue" or "clean" that don't have a real smell either.
But in a sea of abstract and inoffensive male scents, this one stands out for perfect balance and charm. It is a clean, professional scent that also has enough depth to give it personality and character. Spices are balanced by citrus, herbs with woods, green with aquatic.

You can wear this scent anytime: on a date, to the office, on vacation, day or night. Its popularity is justified.

Cool Water has one major flaw: it fades almost immediately. It has no lasting power on the skin. For this reason, it is almost like a cologne for people who don't really like cologne: guaranteed to be liked by everyone up front, and it won't hang around to risk offending or spoiling the pleasant first impression.

Love it. Always have. Prefer the drydown more than most EDT's. I'll put extra on earlier just for a nice drydown. Fresh and clean. I've heard it compared to GIT by Creed, and have some of that on the way. I can only wonder what all these variants smell like, though...I wouldn't want to buy them and be disappointed.

Cool, and fresh. Not necessarily clean, but cool and fresh indeed. It reaches a point about an hour after applying to fresh skin where it becomes ALMOST cerebral in nature. Just good quality sandalwood, I guess.

Very easy to wear.

A heck of a lot of people here are saying it is very generic; well, I 'd have to agree with them, but in a different sense.

In many ways, Cool Water is RESPONSIBLE for generic-ness in the perfumes market place because of its supreme inintial popularity. But it is NOT a PRODUCT of generic-ness, but unfortunately, a trend-setter for it! Everyone wanted a piece of the action, which is entirely understandable!

I am beginning to move back towards this original version, as other people move away from it, towards the 'Game' collection, which, might I add, is deplorably generic! Its just like they decided to add a huge dose of industrial-grade detergent and Bitter Orane extract to it!

Cool Water Summer Fizz is just as good as the original, as is Deep, although Deep smells somewhat different to the original.

Again, cool, fresh and easy to wear. And I appologise for digressing.

Fair effort on the part of Davidoff. But unfortunately carries a bad generic identity with it.

Cheers!

I think it goes with anything. Smells fresh. Lasts well. A classic.

Every kid and their mother owns this one. I don't like the top notes but the dry down is much better for me.

Smell is classic. Sweet, Clean, and FRESH!
Cool water speaks for itself! It smells like sweet ice!
The sillage is great, can smell it a mile away, and lasts long on me!
THUMBS WAY UP!!!

A wonderful fragrance a classic i wore it in high shcool and i still wear it today its one of my favorites

I ordered this scent on a whim online, after a year I finally gave into the hype. I have to say this fragrance is very, very easy to wear at first, it's pleasantly smooth and I feel I can wear it comfortably to virtually any occasion. After roughly 2 weeks with it, I must say it's different from my first impression. How much one applies definitely make a difference. Over doing it (3 sprays) is very noticeable, and the smell can be nauseating for both others and myself. Too little (half spray) and it doesn't last. Due to its apparent simplicity, it becomes complex to use - and in it becomes complex in a different form. Simplicity and complexity melding together into this scent. I must say I like it quite a bit, a cologne I can use whenever, as a backup or a main.

2007 05 04 Davidoff Cool Water (long)

Recently I´ve become increasingly relativistic in judging and reevaluating older fragrances. Like many members on the board I very strongly dislike where the mainstream fragrance industry is heading and has developed the last couple of years. Way too much effort is put into packaging, limited editions, summer versions, ridiculous pyramid copywriting and such. Genuine creativity and originality has dissappeared in favour of hype and politically correct and synthetic scents that aim to please as many consumers as possible.

Further there is a growing trend of "dual" markets for the big brands. Dior have their 3 upscale colognes (and to a certain extent Homme), Guerlain their L'Art et la Matiere series, Chanel their Rue Cambon, Hermès their Hermenessences - the list goes on. Practically this means we now have to pay about 3 times more for the same quality that was standard issue during the 80`s while the conglomerates squeeze every penny
out of each aquired franchise with their "special editions" and summer versions, products that seldomly even make it to next year. It´s simple mathematics - increased frequency to spark short term purchase and boosting the sale figures for the share holders. Unfortunately all kinds of new sub-par "niche" houses have popped up as well recently capitalizing on peoples quest for the genuine. Fancy packaging and claims (hardly controllable) of all natural ingredients hardly justifies the prices asked by for instance Profumum. IMHO you earn your respect, by decades of quality output. Sadly many lose it much faster in the race for quick bucks today.

So how does this rant relate to my reveevaluation and growing fondness for Cool Water? A few years ago I dissmissed this fragrance in this very same review section. But recently I started sampling it again and it grew on me with each try. I started to think of it with a strong sense of nostalgia and even appreciated it´s simple old school bottle. The Green Irish Tweed reference is unavoidable, especially since that Creed (in this rare case)is the original. And sure, GIT has more bite and complexity, but CW is close, much closer than the price tag would indicate.

Cool Water is a simple fresh fougere that works perfectly on a mild spring day. Less marine than the concept indicates, I´d say its a herbal, slightly peppery scent with a strong base of oakmoss, musk and pleasant cedar. The overall impression is, pardon the cliche, a modern masculine classic. I eventually bought a bottle and it has served me very well in the office the last couple of weeks.

Cool Water, together with Acqua di Gió and Eternity may very well be the initiators of todays downward spiral of forced freshness.
But compared to all the mediocre new stuff released, especially by Davidoff themselves, Cool Water will always remain a nice alternative. Good Stuff.

Yes its played out, and a copy. But it makes me feel good when im wearing it

Good frag, just don't over do it or it becomes nauseating. Overall, good frag though.

Clearly a summeroriented fresh fragrance. Haven't smelled GIT actually but I used to think of this as an original scent compared to others. It is kind of one-dimensional but that's what I like about it.

I like it, try it for yourself.

I had many a night spent in olfactory agony in the early 90s at college parties at which the boys had gone a bit crazy with the application of Cool Water. I had a pronounced recoil to this one for years afterwards.

Then I bought a 5ml bottle on a whim at Wal-Mart and I am completely turned around on CW. This is a GREAT fragrance, one of the best in my collection. It smells absolutely wonderful, and that "chromatic blue" smell is terrific. I think this one well deserves the title of "Modern Classic".

When I bought this, I was expecting a little less of a musky smell, more sharp and fresh. However after wearing it all holiday, I’m hooked, it’s a great one to splash on and have on you all day. You can be mistaken for putting it on too much as your nose adjusts, spray once a day that’s all that’s needed. The missus got a whiff and said “hmm, that’s nice”. Tumbs up, a classic but not an oldie, it stands up proud today.

Classic, aquatic and it is original, even though a lot of fragrances copied and still copy this one. I find it unsuitable for teens or for men in their twenties.It is one of the fresh fragrances that almost require a suite(I believe).

I find Cool Water to be a wonderful fresh clean scent which is both pleasing but also restrained. It is not an assertive scent which boldly announces your presence but rather one which is very subtle and pleasing. I find it does a very good job of filling a valued niche in my fragrance wardrobe. There are a lot of comparisons between Green Irish Tweed and Cool Water, some even claiming that Cool Water is a clone of GIT. While I feel that they are in the same family of fragrances, I find them distinctly different. GIT is a more assertive fragrance with a bitter edge to it which I find off putting. I’ll take Cool Water over GIT any day.

This would make a great first colonge. Cheap in price, but is a time-tested great smell. Although it is popular, I do think that should at all sway your descision from this great smell. And then, who knows? Years later you may come back for more bottles, like I have.

Its not an exact ripoff of Creeds Green Irish Tweed as many claim. The top notes are similar .. however, unlike GIT, the middle notes are not grassy, but more "fresh", hence the name "Cool Water"...GIT doesnt have the orange blossom and peppermint notes. Its definitely an inferior scent than Cool Water, but its also different...and for its price, its a good value.

This fragrance deserves all of its props.It is the grandaddy of many.There are better now.This is great, although I dont own it.

Very crisp, fresh, and overall pleasant smell. You can wear this for weeks on end and never get tired of this smell.

Fresh, inoffensive.. versatile. Cool Water is a staple in my wardrobe, and something that I wear when I am not in the mood for something challenging on the senses or heady. "I've got the Johnson's baby powder and Cool Water cologne!" Hey.. if the stuff is good enough for Snoop Dogg, who am I to bite my thumb? ;)

I think this is Davidoff's finest! It is cool, crisp, and still manages to get alot of attention from the ladies. It smells every bit as good and modern now as it did then. A must have in anyone's collection.

A popular, ubiquitous cologne that nevertheless still attracs a lot of compliments for its crowd pleasing aroma. Starts as a fresh, cool marine scent with a touch of pepper and lavander and gently wears out into warm honesuckle. Average longetivity. Light acidification (none on oily skin). My long-time favorite.

Nothing special about this one just like the name says its a kinda cool crisp smelling cologne and thats whats so good about it. It makes no promises other then that and it lives up to it. Smells great last fairly long and for some reason even after all the years women still go crazy over it!

Definately one of the top scents in my collection. The scent in classic although a bit basic and old. Smells exactly like the name would lead you to think.

Clean and Fresh, simply that.

I used to wear this one alot as a teenager. I found it to be pleasantly mellow and it lasted well on my skin. I haven't wore it for some time, but I have a feeling that I am saving my bottle for a rainy day. This one does resemble Green Irish Tweed. That being said, it is not as complex or refined as GIT, but it seems to last longer than GIT, and at least to me, doesn't feel like a cheap knock-off of GIT either. This one has received more compliments for me than any other fragrance. It may not be as high brow as some of the other scents around here, but for a reasonably priced cologne that any guy can find at a local department store, it does it's job magnificently.

I had a bottle of this when I was in the 8th grade. It was a big hit and not once did I receive a negative response. Of course at that age my peers weren't very keen on cologne. But still, even when I smell it now, I think it's pretty good given how long ago it was made. It doesn't smell dated and it's a simple clean scent. Sure it may smell synthetic, but what do you expect for the price? And for the record, I agree with the Green Irish Tweed similarity. They do have a lot in common IMO for the first five minutes. After that they head in their own direction.

It's a fresh, clean and pleasant smell that almost universally liked. The only down side is that it's almost universally worn by every one.

my fiance wears this and it drives me wild is the only scent i will allow him to wear he has tried others but they just dont cut it this is from a womens point of view

an original stepping stone to cool grounds or i mean water! It never fails to take compiments daily and drives women crazy! I beg to differ, so many fragrances out that its actually rare to find anyone that still has a bottle, that makes me again one of the kind original reborn.

I couldn't believe the craze when this scent came out...bottles flew off the shelves regardless of it's ridiculous price (the Swiss Franc was fierce then). I was just out of high school then, this was an object hard to come by and it blew a third of my paycheck working at a fast food joint. So happy at the longevity and quality and I definitely smelled the relaxing feeling of "le souffle de la mer" with this one. Thanks Davidoff with the creation of this scent that has paved the way for the newfound territory of "aquatic" scents in mens fragrances.

Cool Water isn't my favorite cologne, but it ranks up there. It really doesn't remind me of water (which I'm guessing it's trying to imply,) but it smells more like an outdoorsy scent. Everybody seems to have it, but I still recommend it. I wore it the whole time while on vacation, now everytime I smell it nothing but good memories flash back.

This fragrance is propbably the most used throughout the world and most popular...for that reviewers should not discredit coolwater. HOnest truth is, this was a brilliant masterpiece when it was created....no other aquatic fragrance came clost to it...It doesnt matter how played out it is....but this is one mens fragrance...EVERY ONE SHOULD GIVE CREDIT TO!!! I LOVE IT and careless that i smell like everyone else...A MODERN MASTERPIECE AND WILL ALWAYS BE A CLASSIC!!!

I'll admit right off that I'm quite new to the world of designer fragrances. The only designer scents I've worn for the last 6 years has been Cool Water and Mambo. Before I got into things I had little more than a passing interest in scents. If it smelled good to me, great! I just knew I didn't like Drakkar Noir, Polo, or most of the cheaper mass market colognes. But when I first smelled Cool Water on a magazine insert, I knew I wanted it. Needed it. And I got it. As luck would have it, it not only bound me with its spell, but my future wife as well. To this day it's still the scent of choice for me to wear by her regard, and she says anytime she happens to smell it on someone else she thinks of me instantly. Ahh, how romantic. Makes me wish I was more hopelessly so myself. Not only did Cool Water simply smell "great" by my crude definition, but quite unlike anything else out there. Perfect name association/imagery on this concoction. Soo cool, invigorating, sophisticated, and fresh. But always masculine, dispossesed of any of the obnoxious Alpha male qualities shouting vulgarities at all that pass. I call this a thinking man's cologne. It's also one of the few colognes I've sniffed that has near perfect harmony among all notes from start to finish. Love the hint of mint on the top! I may yet lack a worldly nose, but there is no quarter that this is a classic. Even as I knew it to be so back then, I know it to be so now.

True, maybe too many people use this fragrance. But why should that be a bad thing? It is a refreshing, light scent that is perfect for the summer - it smells 'clean'. The reason so many people use this scent is probably because it's good! However I do agree that this scent doesn't last very long, so you'll use a lot of it.

I well made fragrance to wear especially in summer. It's also so refreshing. Wish it could last longer.

For its price (around 25 bucks), I must say that this cologne is very impressive. It has the perfect duration on the skin, and it has an irresistible "musky masculinity" about it, if you know what I mean.

Although it is becoming extrememly popular it is still one of my favorites. It is a casual summer evenings fragrance. It dies down to a smell that reminds me of a August night under the stars with a girlfriend. Big thumbs up.

Davidoff was spot-on in naming this fragrance. i feel good wearing it, and the scent lasts me all day, so I'm fortunate it works with my skin type. Just because it's popular has zero bearing on my wanting to wear it. People make the fragrance, not the other way around. This one's a classic.

I've been wearing this wonderful fragrance for seven years now and can't see ever tiring of it. It's great for any occasion I can think of. The fresh musk leather body it maintains, is to me, it's perfect finishing touch. It would probably smell great on any guy.