DAVIDOFF Cool Water Man Intense Eau de Parfum 125ml

Product Information

Thankfully, this isn't the candy ethyl maltol sort of sweet you're used to in clubbers or some Paco Rabanne Invictus (2013) wannabes, but it definitely has that "latest banger" sort of Instagram-obsessed compliment monster vibe that checks off all the douche-bro boxes with smoking finger guns and smarmy grins. It has more of a cool, minty, airy vanilla, similar to Versace Eros mostly, a possible a little like Le Male. Cool Water, Cool Water Intense, and Cool Water Parfum are massively popular in the fragrance community. I can see the appeal for guys that need to announce their virility and prowess in the corporate jungle at every opportunity, or the guy that wears one fragrance for everything and would like something that can make the leap from work to dance floor without re-application, but this once more has absolutely fuck-all to do with Cool Water.

It's more subtle and wearable than both, so if you want a less intense (despite the name), work-appropriate and possibly more refined version of Eros, this could be a good find. If you're a regular user, please take a break, explore our other interesting content, and come back later.

On the other hand, Cool Water Intense starts with a citrusy opening, and soon it becomes fruitier and lasts for an entire day. I guess this stuff is trying to be sort of like an over-powered office fragrance in the style of Fragrance One: Office for Men by Jeremy Fragrance (2019) that nobody in their right mind would actually take to an office, because it has that similar overly-extroverted and polite vibe but with a handshake that can shatter carbon fiber and a scent trail that will remind you for the rest of the day that the wearer was there. A unique composition, crafted with more than 18 natural ingredients, that delivers an immediate freshness.

In the case of Cool Water, it starts with a minty-fresh projection, and after some time, it tempers down and lasts well. In fact, nothing about the scent profile of Davidoff Cool Water even feels cool, watery, or particularly fresh, so it fails even at respecting the legacy of it's best-selling namesake alongside not having any of its DNA. Annick Menardo wasn't even revealed by Davidoff as perfumer at first, but was only discovered later on down the line, telling me all of this was done seat-of-the-pants style.

Cool Water has sea notes, lavender, mint, green notes, rosemary, Calone, and coriander in the opening.

Lastly, if we talk about the parfum version, we can see the note transition can be harsh for you although it’s a versatile fragrance. To add further insult to injury, little to no advertising was done for this, and soon Run Wild (2020) emerged as the big men's push that was featured everywhere at counters carrying Davidoff, as if Cool Water Intense was under rug swept. It is one of the freshest cologne I’ve ever sniffed, and every bit of it feels refreshed and fantastic. If we compare, you can see the opening of Cool Water is the most extraordinary here, and the opening of Cool water is more than enough to fall in love with it. If I had to choose between these two, I would pick Cool Water over Cool Water Intense and Cool Water Parfum.

But two more flankers of Cool Water were released, and people got confused as they couldn’t decide which one is better. The dry down is like being walloped with Comet cleanser, asbestos, and broken glass shaken up in a pillow case, just pure nasty that lasts forever.

So, If you’re looking to add a signature fresh cologne to your collection, Cool Water could be the one.

As all of these fragrances use rich notes, as a result, they all provide fantastic projection and longevity. Davidoff claims a coconut note here, and there are tiny wisps if you really strain hard to see it, but I don't get anything that slaps me in the face with pina colada like Creed or Tommy Bahama does with their tropical getaway scents. After testing these colognes on myself, I have rounded out their similarities and differences to help you make an informed decision. The biggest thing here is the amber xtreme note, mega-dosed to absurd levels, being woody amber Hell for anyone that hates scratchy sharp nose-piercing itchy dry downs that seem to be all the rage in the late 2010's and early 2020's.