Back when I first started discovering fragrances as a teenager, one bottle in particular used to grab my attention, and this scent subsequently turned into a permanent feature of my collection.

First released in the late 1980s, Davidoff Cool Water was created by the perfumer Pierre Bourdon. This fragrance shares a lot of similarities with a significantly more expensive fragrance named Green Irish Tweed by The House Of Creed. Fun fact: Bourdon was responsible for the creation of both fragrances. Upon release in 1985, GIT was a massive hit, and its popular scent profile would influence the creation of the much more affordable Cool Water.

Cool Water is often looked down upon by the modern fragrance community due to a variety of factors. These include its perceived 'cheapness', popularity, and reputation as a 'teen fragrance' from a bygone era.

In my opinion, these people are wrong, very wrong.

Cool Water is one of the greatest men's fragrances of all time.

It's an EDT, so longevity is nothing to write home about, but CW was never designed to be a powerhouse in performance fragrance.

Scent-wise, Cool Water features an aquatic, sea salty lightness with hints of lavendar and mint. It's a textbook freshie blue fragrance that is easy to wear and versatile. It's reminiscent of a summer's day by a beautiful beach or a refreshing swim in a body of \*ahem\* cool water.

I think it is a lovely scent and the softer performance, to me, is a bonus. For instance, should I need a fresh but non cloying scent that is ideal for the gym, CW is always a good idea. If I want to put on something to freshen up for a casual setting but also not to wear something that will be screaming out all day, then CW is an excellent choice.

Another thing to note, at least in my experience, is that CW is a compliment getter. I used to work behind the bar in an upmarket restaurant with some very pretty waitresses. They would regularly tell me that I smelled very nice when I would wear CW as my daily work-safe scent. One girl there even once told me how she thought my cologne was 'a proper sexy smell'. I digress, but if you're a young-ish guy who is new into fragrance and wants something subtle but attention receiving, then I'd say CW is a fairly good bet 😉

I love cool water, and I think that when considering how affordable it is, how effortless and fresh it smells, how popular it has remained for nearly 40 years, all attest to its lasting greatness.

8-8.5/10 (not perfect, but timeless)

I will never not love Cool Water