Cool Water Davidoff 1988 Eau de Toilette

Cool Water (Eau de Toilette) by Davidoff

Bottle Design Peter Schmidt

See Prices

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

See Prices

Ranked 67 in Men's Perfume

7.2 / 10 2402 Ratings

Cool Water (Eau de Toilette) is a perfume by Davidoff for men and was released in 1988. The scent is fresh-aquatic. It is being marketed by Coty. Pronunciation

Goes well with Étoiles Silver

We may earn a commission when you buy from links on our site, including the eBay Partner Network and Amazon.

Main accords

Fresh

Aquatic

Green

Synthetic

Spicy

Fragrance Pyramid

Top Notes

Green notes

Lavender

Mint

Rosemary

Coriander

Heart Notes

Geranium

Neroli

Sandalwood

Jasmine

Base Notes

Cedarwood

Oakmoss

Musk

Amber

Tobacco

Perfumer

Pierre Bourdon

Videos

Watch video

Ratings

Scent

7.22402 Ratings

Longevity

6.62026 Ratings

Sillage

6.52004 Ratings

Bottle

6.82055 Ratings

Value for money

8.41115 Ratings

Submitted by DonVanVliet, last update on 04.12.2023.

Interesting Facts

Currently actor Scott Eastwood is the face of the advertising campaign. Previously actors Josh Holloway and Paul Walker (†) were faces of the campaign as well.

Reviews

65 in-depth fragrance descriptions

03/20/2021

7
Sillage 8
Longevity 10
Scent

Serres74
26 Reviews

Translated Show original

Serres74

Top Review 93

Here I am in his apartment...

...and open the mirror cabinet in the bathroom. Immediately the blue bottle catches my eye...a smile flits across my face. No matter what perfumes I've given to him over the years...Cool Water has always been his. I unscrew the top and this fresh aquatic scent, aromatic from the rosemary and mint, catapults me back to 1989. For his twentieth birthday, I wanted to get him something special, so I diligently saved my allowance and bought him this scent. Back then, Cool Water was what Aventus is to men today.

I sit on the edge of the bathtub and wet my sweater with this scent...I breathe it in deeply. When the top notes dissipate, the lush oak moss takes the stage...paired with the musk and woods, the scent takes on depth and has a calming effect on me...somehow. I sigh. Star Wars probably would have completely passed me by if it hadn't gotten me excited about it. I can still remember him coming home after going to the movies (Return of the Jedi Knights 1983) and him telling me about it. He also had a talent for imitating sounds like the laser cannons or the TIE fighters, which made it all that much more vivid and comforted me over the disappointment of not being allowed into the cinema at the time. Star Trek with Captain Jean Luc Picard we both liked to watch as well. Ben Hur on the other hand I would never have watched but he said that you have to see this great movie at least once...and he was right, the movie is great. I discovered my love of movie tunes through him...I would have otherwise mistaken Morricone for an ice cream flavor...in general, I learned a lot from him...riding a bike without training wheels, painting, drawing, playing the piano (but I was never as good as he was) and he always took the time to take me to the traffic practice area when I was about to get my driver's license.
As I'm reminiscing I have to laugh out loud...my daughter appears around the corner and looks at me questioningly... "oh nothing honey, I was just thinking about how your uncle greeted my first boyfriend with the words "if you break my little sister's heart I'll make it look like an accident". My daughter grins... "he said the same thing to my boyfriend"...we both laugh... "well"...I say and shrug my shoulders... "and who's going to protect us now?"... "oh mom"...my child sits down next to me and takes me in her arms... "I'm sure he has a much better view of us from up there"...

R.I.P big brother...I miss you very much...

06/27/2021

8
Bottle 9
Sillage 8
Longevity 9
Scent

Pollita
213 Reviews

Translated Show original

Pollita

Top Review 46

Thoughts

My Outlook recently showed me your birthday. I was already on the verge of sending off the greetings, just like every year.

Even though I've known the distinctive, for me rather deep green than blue scent of Davidoff Cool Water for much longer: I've actually only associated it with you for about 15 years now. Whenever you were in the house, you could always smell Cool Water everywhere. In the hallways, you could always smell the intense cloud of green notes, lots of spices and a rich base of musk, oakmoss, amber and a touch of woodiness. Her signature. Over so many years. Since I liked the fragrance very much and also you as a person were an absolutely pleasant contemporary for me, the overdose never actually bothered me with you. Rather with your colleagues with their niche fragrances, which had changed so much after you retired.

While most probably think of their own youth, wild parties or first love when they think of this 1988 classic, I think of one of the most important mentors of my career when I think of this deep, refreshing and, to my nose, absolutely masculine scent. I think of a manager who had his heart in the right place and who intuitively got a lot of the things that some companies are accused of today in terms of management style right back then. I associate Davidoff Cool Water with you just as much as I do your Swabian dialect, which always made you so likeable in a city where it is no longer appropriate for one or two residents to speak Swabian these days.

A true fragrance classic for a great leader and a very special person who I miss dearly.

10/07/2018

10
Pricing 8
Bottle 7
Sillage 8
Longevity 7.5
Scent

Fresh21
52 Reviews

Translated Show original

Fresh21

Top Review 26

Hurray for the reformulation !

Huh? What's that supposed to mean? ...to understand that, we better start at the beginning: If I remember correctly, Cool Water was my very first perfume right after its launch, which i.Ü. proves to be not 21 anymore, as a perfume erroneously concluded from my username ( nevertheless thank you very much for the flowers ;-)

Back then this fragrance was really so different, so hip! Unfortunately, every second person wore it. Anyway, so did I... This stuff had to be simple, I had to have it. And so this was somehow a violent fragrance entrance for a young guy, with a never before seen Aqua-Wummser.

But as great as his severely undercooled, almost piercingly clear BlueGreen VIBE was, I always felt this new fragrance DNA a bit too much for me. That's why I was always torn: On the one hand so super, so clean, so deep and gaaaanz different, but on the other hand also a little too different! ... The years passed, I remained divided, and the desire for other fragrances made me increasingly lose sight of the blue aquatics, which I then no longer bought. Thus Cool Water remained unnoticed for more than two decades ...

But when I created my profile on Parfumo in February of this year and clicked on the earlier fragrances in the Hatte I collection, this cool CW feeling immediately went to my head again, but also the memory: "that was the one with this extraordinary over-the-top note, better leave it alone" ... On the other hand Cool Water had so many beautiful fragrances ... Shit, again this ambivalence, and already I was on my way to the miller. Arriving there I immediately took a long breath in joyful expectation of being able to deepen this CW-boost-like. But what was that? The deep green-blue ocean had obviously ebbed into a turquoise lagoon. Where was the previous "is it too strong, you're too weak" effect?

Gone! -r-e-f-o-r-m-u-l-i-e-r-t- and only mainstream? No doubt about it. But it couldn't have been that, could it?! As I now had to find out, I was probably still a little behind the Ur-Cool Water. Do what, then? To make a long story short: Green Irish Tweed was too expensive for nostalgic fun, and I ended up at Étoiles Silver, a very distinctive twin fragrance(?). When he finally arrived at my place, I immediately noticed: "Yes, there it is again, that mega-fresh, crystal clear aqua note with which Cool Water landed the worldwide surprise hit back then. So I had found in Étoiles Silver a great counterpart that came pretty close to my former favorite.

All's well?

Not quite yet ... because in fact it seemed to become a never ending story with both of us: Already after 1-2 months of Étoiles Silver the effect of that time caught up with me again: Too much of a good thing !

What?

"Rin inne Kartoffeln, rausse Kartoffeln", as they say here, or is this indecision a sign of an unsteady personality? No, no, this is still only about perfume ;-) and then I come to the last act. Because as it is in life, some things return to you again and again, until they finally become right for you ... That's why I finally found out in a new attempt of extensive tests that today's Cool Water is probably exactly as I had always wished, namely with throttled cooling water performance ;-)

Therefore I end here with the nearly unique final sentence, which might have certainly large rarity value, but actually once on a smell applies - at least for me:

Hurray for the reformulation !

Edit for the Ur-Cool-Water fans: see the tip in the side story [my Étoiles Silver Kommis]

03/28/2020

7
Bottle 6
Sillage 7
Longevity 8
Scent

FvSpee
246 Reviews

Translated Show original

FvSpee

Top Review 31

CoViD comments, tenth piece: Aquatic deconstruction.

First of all, many thanks to all those who have followed me here for the tenth day. I'm glad if I could really entertain you all these days and that you stay true to this little series. The number of my subscribers usually only grows when I'm on dive station for 6 to 8 weeks, so I always feel a bit like a street musician who gets paid to shut up. This time it was different, which I find really nice.

Apart from the "plague" of Camus, which was the subject of discussion the day before yesterday, another classic epidemic is the Decamerone of Bocaccio. The Italian was a contemporary witness and survivor of the great plague of 1348/1349, which depopulated large parts of Europe. At the end of these two years, many estates and countries had only half or a third of the population as before. So things are still getting worse. The story is that ten young high-society guys from Florence, three boys and seven girls, during the plague after the service (!) say to each other, actually starkly, that there are less here every Sunday, not because they all left the church, but because they left life. Therefore (this corresponds roughly to the attitude of the super rich in New York and California to winter the plague on yachts off the coast) they retire to a chic remote country house, with servants of course, and have a good time there. Because this is to be done "within the bounds of propriety," ahem, they tell each other stories for ten days, always one per day, each of the ten, a hundred altogether. So the book consists of a hundred funny stories (mostly about sex; apparently the good ones had to verbally work off their backlog of urges, which had formed because they would have liked to do something other than telling stories) and a little plague story. By the way, I forgot if and how it was justified that they broke up after ten days and returned to the plague hole Florence. The plague will hardly have been over. No more stories in stock and too boring without? I read the book many, many years ago and found it a bit dusty. It seemed to me as if the style and content of the stories doesn't mean that much to us today, unless we are interested in cultural history or something similar. But maybe you would see it differently, so: reading suggestion for the curfew ?

I've already told my ten stories now, if you look at it that way. Would any of you like to take over the next ten? Like a virtual perfume country house? I'm taking a break tomorrow and the day after. If no one is found in that time (threat!), then I'll continue with ten more comments from Tuesday until Maundy Thursday. From Good Friday on I have to take a break for eight days anyway, and then we'll see if the air is a bit cleaner out there...

Today we're going to talk about a fragrance that you all know. And if not, then somehow that's your fault, because Cool Water belongs to European popular culture like Asterix and Pizza. So please go and test it as soon as possible (Shit, I can't, so order something from the souk or whatever). And if you don't know Pizza and Asterix yet, order that too. For Asterix I personally recommend "Asterix at the Swiss" and for the pizza the Napoli with anchovies, capers and olives. Vegetarians who have never eaten pizza before and need a tip without anchovies, please write me a PN. So I skip the station of the scent description here. I will start right away with the fact that there are two fundamental obstacles in the way of any "objective" occupation with this scent:

First. We have been used to the advertising messages for generations: colour BLUE. Muscle-men. Who jump in the water. Name (for the name 10 points as recognition for the marketing coup) COOL WATER. Name of the fragrance in any book or blog as prototypical AQUATIC. What else should one think but that this fragrance smells "like water" and is THE typical men's summer sports fragrance?

Secondly, for us men in our mid-thirties and fifties, who are probably a strong cohort here among the regular perfume writers (and even more so among the Cool Water commentators), this fragrance is always associated with biographical memories. Pimples. Pimples. Girls. Wanting to belong. Eighties memories. Or something. That's what a lot of nice comments are about here
But what would be, if you tried to free yourself from all this (as good as possible). To put yourself in the position of a person who neither knows all the advertising nor has any biographical memories associated with it. Let's say a 25-year-old Afghan from Herat, who is presented with the stuff in a neutral test tube with the inscription "Scent number 16c". If this person could express himself in a sufficiently differentiated way, how would he describe this scent? If you feel like it, try the experiment itself, it is very informative!
If it's not a spoiler, as I felt it was: I thought it was a damn sweet smell. Sea water doesn't smell like that (I recommend Un Air de Bretagne by Artisan Parfumeur), it's rather fresh water, if not sugar water! Then I find Cool Water actually very green (I fully agree with Yatagan). Apart from the fact that many languages of the world do not know the difference between green and blue, it is perceived as one colour with several shades: It's actually a green scent, and the whole blue is a huge advertising fake. If I say so now, it proves the opposite. I'm gonna smell a lot of flowers. And after all that, it's not really a very masculine scent to me. On the contrary. Actually, it's a girl's scent. It should be called Pink Sugar Water with Green Thing in it. So! Yes! Eat it! But nobody listens to me!
Instead, if you look at the chart here: With 658 votes, 100% for "male", 0% for female. Out of 1320 users, 97.5% suckers, 2.5% cupcakes. I say: Mass hysteria, advertising-induced, I say!
I still like to spray the scent from time to time. I just have the courage to wear girl's stuff sometimes (so less with clothes now).

Keep well!

04/14/2018

9
Bottle 6
Sillage 6
Longevity 6.5
Scent

Mantus
198 Reviews

Translated Show original

Mantus

Top Review 13

Vintage VS. Current Formulation

The vintage version begins intensely tart - spicy, Mediterranean - herbaceous, but also subtly green.

The current version begins refreshingly Mediterranean - herbaceous, but also subtly spicy.

From the vintage - miniature - collection of our perfume "Zirkeltanz" I was allowed to choose some fragrances, where Cool Water was also among them and I would like to express my sincere thanks for that.

The first thing you can perceive in the vintage version is an intense tart and also very spicy note, which sets a strong and distinctive accent and is due to the coriander.

At the same time, this note is underlined by a Mediterranean, slightly herbaceous nuance and ensures that the striking aspect is enhanced a little more and comes from lavender.

In the background, a subtle greenish note rounds off the top note wonderfully and is responsible for the fact that the top note does not appear heavy but very pleasant and this is due to the rosemary, mint and green notes, which I unfortunately cannot name exactly.

In the current version, the first thing you can perceive is a light, already somewhat aquatic Mediterranean, subtly herbaceous note, which gives the top note something maritime and is due to the lavender.

This note is refreshed greenish and is responsible for the fact that the aquatic - maritime aura is pleasantly potentiated and comes from mint.

In the background a slight spiciness can be detected, which gives the top note a certain substance and comes from the coriander.

Unfortunately I could not perceive the green notes and the rosemary in the current version, but I can well imagine that these notes were used as support.

The top note of the vintage version is perceptible on my skin for 25 minutes before the heart note unfolds.
The top note of the current version is perceptible on my skin for 15 minutes before the heart note unfolds.

Now the vintage version has a fine creamy and also spicy note, which gives the fragrance that certain something and is owed to the sandalwood.

This note is accompanied by a fine floral note of the rose geranium and ensures that the fragrance acquires something "light" without diminishing its substance.

And yet, there is also a sweet floral note that is responsible for the heart note being lifted a little into the air and comes from jasmine.

In the far background there is a discreet sparkling floral note, which rounds off the heart note wonderfully and comes from Neroli.

In the current version, the first thing I notice is the creamy, flowery note of the rose geranium, which is underscored by the slightly spicy sandalwood.

Also, in the current version, the jasmine has been used as an "air lifter", although in the current version it appears stronger.

So you could say that the heart note of the vintage version focuses on sandalwood and the current version on rose geranium and jasmine.

Unfortunately, I could not notice Neroli in the current version, but I can well imagine that it was only used as support.

The heart note of both versions lasts 4 hours on my skin before the base asserts itself.

Both fragrances "meet" in my opinion in the base, because for me there is no difference, but a very discreet.

The vintage version has a very bright, mossy characteristic, which can only come from oak moss and gives the fragrance something pleasantly "masculine - soft", which appears a little "less" in the current version, but which can really only be detected with the help of coffee beans for odour neutralization.

Both versions have a "dense, filling" aura, which ensures that the fragrance does not drift off into the trivial and is due to the tobacco.

At the same time, the oak moss is accompanied by a very gentle, almost fragile wooden note, which is responsible for the fact that the scent is simply pleasant and is due to the cedar wood.

These 3 notes are enveloped by an enveloping, soft, sweet-spicy nuance, which provides a beautiful tangible depth and comes from amber
Around the whole base hovers a very clear, very discreetly sweet fragrance, which is not at all reminiscent of freshly washed laundry, but rather I have the feeling that the note of musk, the remaining notes support and let it fade away pleasantly.

If I had to compare the Vintage version with the Current Formulation in percent, I think we have a difference of 35%, which for me proves once again that a reformulation can succeed quite well and also acceptably.

Altogether the Vintage version lasts 7 hours on my skin.
Altogether the current version lasts 6 hours on my skin.

The Sillage in the Vintage version is designed from the outset to be clearly perceived at three-quarters of an arm's length, and this is maintained for 3.5 hours before it is minimized in quiet steps until the fragrance finally fades away completely.

The Sillage in the current version is designed from the start to be perceived quite well at half an arm's length and this is maintained for 3 hours before it is reduced in leisurely steps until the fragrance finally fades away completely.

My evaluation, classification and statement refer to the current version, of course.

More reviews