Wrapping it all up, I can define the new Cool Water Intense as a contemporary fougere that stands out among other men's fragrance launches. It is hard to confuse Cool Water Intense with any other fougere on the shelf. I am sure that fans of fortitude in perfumes would be totally smitten by its power, while those who appreciate the original, probably, would hardly be impressed. (I expect loud, multiple complaints about stealing the name and ruining another masterpiece.) However, I am sure the new perfume will attract a new audience. The original Cool Water is also remarkable for the use of natural materials; lavender and geranium are among them. These two materials are still required in fougeres. In total, according to official sources, 18 different naturals were blended in the original formula, including orange and the not-yet-popular-at-the-time pink pepper. Davidoff Cool Water, created by Pierre Bourdon in 1988, is undoubtedly a milestone in the history of perfumery. It is the fragrance that drew a line in men's fragrances, dividing all fragrances into before and after Cool Water. Moreover, the perfumery that has come after is what we know as modern fougere – super fresh, aquatic perfumes that have very little in common with classic fougeres from the time before Cool Water. Everything said about Dihydromyrcenol is applicable to these two unfortunate materials, victims of their own popularity. Aventus, with its army of copies, has become the last nail hammered into the coffin of Allyl Amyl Glycolate. Pierre Bourdon blended a citrus-lavender starting accord with an unprecedented amount of Dihydromircenol (IFF, 1966), and deconstructed the base entrusting the major role to Ambroxan. By the way, Dihydromyrcenol and Ambroxan were not anything unusual in fougere compositions at the time, as the first appeared in Azzaro Pour Homme in 1978, and both of them were used in Drakkar Noir.

DAVIDOFF Cool Water Mild Deodorant Natural Spray, 75ml

The majority of Cool Water flankers replicate the main theme of the original, adding some new "meaningful" details. So it is not surprising that they had never flown. At first glance, it might seem that Cool Water Intense doesn't have anything in common with the original Cool Water. Apparently, there is no Dihydromyrcenol at all in the new perfume, while the original contains about 20%. Thirty years ago, Dihydromyrcenol, with its fairly abstract citrus-lime, purifying floral green, and slightly soapy-aldehydic character, seemed modern and even innovative. But eventually, the material has lost its avant garde perception, especially taking into consideration its popularity. If you are not familiar with the scent of Dihydromyrcenol, you can find it in Corps Volatils Overdosed Cologne. Dihydromyrcenol is its only ingredient. Cool Water Intense is fundamentally different from all previous flankers, which finally attracted well-deserved attention to the famous fragrance name and marked its revival. In fact, it is not formally a flanker, but a new concentration of the original Eau de Toilette. Cool Water Intense is rightfully named "Intense." Do you remember how intense the original was? Believe it or not, the new one is even more intense. I suspect that such technical properties as lasting power, sillage, and all-over loud performance were the prime requirements in the company's perfume brief. In this regard, Cool Water Intense is an absolute killer – adding to this property a decent amount of sweetness, it literally makes it dangerous for some sensitive people.

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Salicylates create a logical bridge from a fougere to the note of coconut water – there is a very neat, functional lactonic accord. Salicylates and lactones naturally blend into a suntan lotion, which is another cliche coming from the marine fragrances universe. For more than thirty years, Davidoff has constantly bombarded the counters with Cool Water flankers. (Along with their female versions, there are more than fifty of them, most of which appeared in the 2000s). It has become an expected strategy acquired by Davidoff among others, to play on the popularity of the original invention, while at the same time trying to push aside its multiple copies. The second signature material, which we mentioned above, is fruity-metallic Allyl Amyl Glycolate (the original Cool Water contains an outrageous 3% of it which is 150% more than in any fougere before Cool Water), and the third one, Dinascone, have been entirely eliminated from Cool Water Intense as well. The recipe for success is simple: They finally critically revised the composition in accordance with what people love and wear now and left only what is considered cool from the modern point of view. Being clearly perceived as modern, Cool Water Intense has a number of "classic" fougere characteristics which are emphasized on a bigger scale than in the original: an indispensable metallic floralcy of geranium; coumarin, which shares its fluffiness with the amber accord, and this cosmetic touch is in perfect balance with its spiciness; salicylates, which make a fougere a fougere – the sensation is quite difficult to describe.

Davidoff Cool Water Homme Eau De Toilette Spray, 125ml

Cool Water Intense, this time for real, opens a new chapter of Cool Water, being created literally from scratch. We know plenty of examples of successful perfume revivals: Miss Dior / Miss Dior 2012, Givenchy L'Interdit / L'Interdit 2018, Dior Homme 2005 / Dior Homme 2020, as well as Lancôme Trésor and Bleu de Chanel, named after their very distant ancestors. Its massive amber accord is in the spotlight. A generous amount of Ambroxan (only 1% in the original, which is a very modest quantity, but the material cost almost double the modern price in 1988) is another detail distantly reminding us of the first Cool Water.