Released in 1988, Davidoff's Cool Water was created by famed perfumer Pierre Bourdon, whose other creations include Good Life, Iris Poudre and Dolce Vita. Peter Schmidt designed the iconic silver and blue bottle, which is featured today in advertisements starring model and actor Josh Holloway. Its light, crisp aroma and subtle warm undertones make Cool Water an international best seller two decades after its introduction.
Base Notes
Cool Water contains base notes of musk, amber, cedar, tobacco and sandalwood. In the fragrance world, this would classify Cool Water as an aromatic fragrance, though there is some debate as to whether or not Cool Water can be considered an aromatic aquatic fragrance, or an aromatic fougere (fern-like) fragrance. Fragrances with these base notes are typically considered warm and masculine, though these notes appear in perfumes for both sexes.
Middle Notes
The middle notes, or heart notes, of Cool Water include neroli, geranium, jasmine and oakmoss. Neroli and oakmoss are darker, earthier notes, but the brightness of jasmine and geranium tempers their influence. A hint of crab apple and citrus adds sparkle and verve.
Top Notes
Top notes in Cool Water include lavender, peppermint, rosemary, coriander and orange blossom. It is the cool, sharp green notes that give Cool Water its sense of freshness and cleanliness. Wearers typically explain these fragrances by saying that Cool Water makes them feel like they have just stepped out of an invigorating shower, or emerged from a long swim in the ocean.
Chemicals
In terms of chemicals, Cool Water contains the following ingredients: Alcohol Denat., Aqua/Water, Parfum/Fragrance, Acrylates/Octylacrylamide Copolymer, Alpha Isomethyl Ionone, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Hydroxycitronellal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3 Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Limonene, Linalool. Cool Water may also contain other chemicals that Davidoff is not required by law to post on its packaging. According to the Cosmetics Database, many of the chemicals found in Cool Water are associated with risks of cancer and genetic development interference, and some of these chemicals may trigger allergic reactions. However, the risk of harm presented by Cool Water is low, and the perfume can be worn safely.
References
Writer Bio
Hailing from California, Ann Mazzaferro is a professional writer who has written for "The Pacifican," "Calliope Literary Magazine" and presented at the National Undergraduate Literature Conference. Mazzaferro graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of the Pacific.