KevinGrey

I am a big fan of Cool Water and naturally had high expectations for Hot Water. Probably too high. It was an immediate repulsion for me. Sorry, but I can't stand it at all!

I still remember the first commercial from the 80s. And I still associate the scent with it.
Since it was always around at home, it was my entry into the world of fragrances during my school years. My fragrance horizon has since expanded and changed significantly, but the cool water remains a staple in my fragrance cabinet. And not just out of nostalgia.

Moreover, every time I wear it again after a long time, I realize HOW good it is, and how much it still outshines other really good fragrances.

But let's go in order:

The opening is citrusy-herbaceous-fresh with strong sillage. Admittedly, at first it comes off as off-putting!

However, after half an hour, the turning point arrives. The citrus is gone! Now it becomes spicy-floral (without being feminine)-sweet and aquatic, in a synthetic way that still somehow fascinates me. A perfectly balanced woody-spicy sweetness that still feels fresh, without being intrusive or having a "cheap vibe." That is art! That's how I like sweetness in a fragrance.

With the drydown, it becomes spicy-woody and loses some of its freshness.

It is indeed very artificial, but still a fascinating classic among fresh fragrances. A summer scent that, however, is already too spicy and not fresh enough in the drydown for really hot days. I would still use it up to 25 degrees. For higher temperatures, there are more suitable fragrances (also flankers of this one, by the way).

Its color is definitely blue-green. It pairs well with light clothing (white, beige, gray, and light blue tones).

You can't be too young or too old for this fragrance. It is ageless. From teenagers to elderly gentlemen, you just have to be male.

With its good longevity, it makes for a great office or everyday scent for summer.

And the price point is now at a very reasonable level.

No wonder it became a crowd-pleaser in the 80s/90s. However, the hype of the 90s has faded, and you can wear it well again. Nowadays, not everyone knows it anymore, which I particularly noticed among the younger generations. It is becoming interesting again. The wave of cool water has passed.

By now, even Lidl or G.Bellini has jumped on the Cool Water bandwagon and released a pseudo-dupe named "Deep." It starts off somewhat similar to Cool Water. However, while the floral note in Cool Water gets overshadowed by a dry spiciness over time, the "Deep" remains too floral and feminine for my taste. So, it's not a true dupe. Rather, it's an independent fresh fragrance for summer.
If you're looking for a real dupe, you're better off with Caline's "Absolute Blue."

By the way, I can even recommend the shower gel in this case. It smells like you've just showered, and the longevity and sillage of the shower gel are surprisingly good, which is not the case for most shower gels of well-known fragrances.

Davidoff Cool Water, a classic spicy freshie, but by no means an "old man scent." A timeless work of art.

First of all: I LOVE Boss Bottled and I am particularly critical of supposed dupes.

I have been wearing Grey Point as an office scent for two years now, either alone or together with Bottled, because the Polish twin is simply brilliantly made for me!

Now I wanted to compare them directly: right arm Boss Bottled and left arm Grey Point.
I wanted to determine whether Grey Point could even replace Boss for me.

They differ most strongly in the opening. Boss starts fruitier than Grey, which is already explained by their DNAs. Grey is initially more spicy-synthetic and a bit fruity. The top notes are equally strong.

After about an hour, I prefer Boss. It is more rounded in composition here, still fruitier, and the sillage is a bit stronger than that of Grey. Grey behaves here in a more angular, scratchy manner in the nuances and leans more towards freshness.

After about two hours, both have come very close. Grey now has a noticeably weaker, but still well-perceptible sillage.

In the third hour, they both smell almost identical, only that Grey is weaker.

From the fifth hour on, both gradually enter the drydown. Many fragrances only become really interesting for me in this phase.
I LOVE the drydown of both and could not tell them apart if I didn't know which one was on which arm.

At least on MY skin.

As a conclusion, I have recognized for myself that Grey Point is a very worthy and recommendable twin of Boss Bottled. I think it delivers excellent performance for its price and represents a good alternative to Boss for me in times of tighter budgets. Nevertheless, it cannot displace Boss from its pedestal or stand beside it. Boss remains just slightly in the lead because it is rounder and more present in the time frame that matters to me.

But, big praise to La Rive and a strong recommendation to buy.