Is That Your Cologne or the Hand Soap?

With spring in full swing, we thought it was as good a time as any to try a fresh-smelling cologne. Just as the seasons change, you too can change your cologne along with it (see our handy dandy guide to navigating personal fragrance here).

We tried Cool Water by Davidoff, an aquatic fragrance that has been around since 1988. The fragrance bills itself as clean and refreshing, with top notes of sea water, lavender, mint, green notes, rosemary, calone, and coriander; middle notes of sandalwood, neroli, geranium, and jasmine; and base notes of musk, tobacco, oakmoss, cedar, and amber.

What we found however was a merely a zesty lemon that never evolved. The world of hand soaps has gotten so much more refined that it reminded us of Mrs. Meyer’s Lemon Verbena. But it also wasn’t terribly strong to compensate for the defining note being a fragile top note, so in that sense it felt like we were merely emitting a light smell as one does from their body wash. While on our price point scale, this does qualify as high, it’s actually super affordable in the world of cologne. For another fresh scent, we recommend Lacoste Eau Fraiche, Pour Lui. This is a pass.

Davidoff Cool Water, $26.66

Price point: High

Hm. Interesting…