Relax Davidoff 1990 Eau de Toilette

I... I am attached to the bottle. It is green.

It has been about 25 years now, we are in the year 1991, when I stood, at 18 still quite young, in one of the turquoise perfumeries of this world. And I wanted nothing less than my very first fragrance. Cool Water was everywhere, especially in the summer; it was nearly impossible to move in public without being attacked by a Cool Water scent cloud.

I must confess, however, that at that time I did not yet know that what was occasionally penetrating my nose was Cool Water. Now, Cool Water itself is not bad, but the frequency of its occurrence, when I would have preferred a bit of individuality, was too much for me. Well. Important decisions need to be well thought out, so I had read a bit about perfumes beforehand and thus knew that one can only truly evaluate a fragrance after having worn it on the skin for a while.

So there I stood, and while I was still struggling for orientation, someone rushed towards me - I had never seen anyone so heavily made up in the wild before - and asked me what I desired.
I briefly outlined the situation, and upon repeated inquiries about whether I was perhaps looking for a gift, we ended up in front of the Davidoff shelf. I found this quite appealing because I recognized the logo from my cigarette pack. Promptly, a test strip with Cool Water was held under my nose, and I recoiled. The lady apparently did not expect this reaction and looked confused. I explained the reason for my reaction, she nodded knowingly, and then - then she reached back into the shelf and this time it was…

…Relax. Wooooooosh. I closed my eyes, and somehow the sounds in the background blurred into a soft murmur. To this day, I hope I only stood there for a few seconds; when I opened my eyes again, the store was still open, and the young lady was still in front of me, looking at me expectantly with her gray eyes (after all, she hadn’t fetched a chair yet…). Cool Water? Quite ordinary in comparison.
Hoarsely, I inquired about the possibility of getting a spray on my skin (for the record: left wrist) and left the store.

…Two hours and some kilometers later in the city center…

Relax and my skin seemed to have entered a symbiotic connection. It was as if something was now there that had always belonged there. At that time, I could only theoretically understand terms like top, heart, and base notes, but this - this was it. So I returned and placed 69 Marks on the counter. The beginning of a great, albeit purchasable love.
The product range was almost immeasurable, from shaving foam and pre-electric lotion (the latter unnecessary, which gentleman shaves dry?), to aftershave, deodorant spray & stick, shower gel; I seem to remember having also owned a bath additive, but perhaps I just repurposed the shower gel. And then the "Ultimate Body Moisture," which once shattered on the bathroom tiles, the plastic bottle broke, and the floor must have felt very well cared for.
At some point in the late nineties, the bottle design changed, the flatter version came onto the market, and I believe that the scent changed a bit back then. In direct comparison, the old version always seems a bit rounder and warmer to me - perhaps that is also due to age (whether mine or the bottle's...?).

At some point in the early 2000s, then came the shock: No longer available. Now, a life without Relax is possible and not necessarily meaningless, but significantly less beautiful. So I had to be frugal with the remaining stock. Then, around 2005, there was another surge in stores - and by 2006/7, that supply was also over.
Everything that came later from Davidoff never reached this magnitude. Somehow, with the namesake's passing in 1994, the spirit of the house also died. "Zino" has apparently also been discontinued, but is still available. And yes, for a brief liaison, the still available Cool Water is quite nice. Classic, also great. But the younger ones? Vade retro...

Relax, that is still my signature scent to this day, at least I know that now. Nothing has ever come under my nose again that has excited me so immediately and for so long. And so I silently thank the young lady with the gray eyes and heavily made-up face for this gift to this day. The same lady later helped me find Jil Sander Man (later called Feeling Man), but that is another story.