Description
In March 2014 Davidoff is launching three new fragrances that belong to the collection Coral Reef, inspired by beautiful coral reefs. Since the first edition Cool Water which was launched in 1988, Davidoff turned to oceans and every year the house introduced new, limited editions that provide a refreshing and characteristic blend of aromatic-marine notes. Since 2012 the house of Davidoff has been in partnership with National Geographic Society for the purpose of ocean protection, and the program of protection was named “Pristine Seas”. The new limited Davidoff trio is dedicated to preserving Indo-Pacific coral reef, often called ‘the rain reef of the sea’.
The new edition is a reinterpretation of the original edition which provides a composition of absolute freshness. Top notes incorporate luminous mandarin revived with cold and aromatic notes of mint in the heart. The base provides a creamy, woody shade of sandalwood full of sparkling and cold notes and makes the scent invigorating, deep, masculine and energizing.
sweedsperse – :
Davidoff are pretty much a “What You See is What You Get” house, and Cool Water Coral Reef is a good example of that.
It is close to the original but with just enough mild tweaks to make it distinctive.
As Yarks and Karlovonamesti state in their reviews below, the comparison to Aspen by Coty is spot on, definitely very similar (although Coral Reef is a more modern scent).
Longevity and Silage are Average but that is to be expected these days with fragrances of this type.
I have used up my bottle inside a couple of months, we had unusually warm weather this summer and was a great cologne to keep fresh. In saying that, I won’t be in a rush to purchase another bottle. The reasons being that I buy a bottle of the original every summer, and Davidoff release flankers to CW every year so will be trying them as there are only minor differences (to my nose anyway).
If you like the original then this is a safe buy, it is slightly more green than aquatic, have to say it’s quite nice. Will really shine in hot weather and good choice for office.
goshyk – :
Davidoff Cool Water Man Coral Reef Edition is an OK fragrance not bad but not WOW either for summer time and for a reasonable price plus a nice bottle design.
bugor91 – :
“Ubiquitous and refreshing; a fragrance that every man can identify and have fond memories of while growing up.”
Cool Water Reef Edition (CWRE) is a flanker of the iconic Cool Water by Davidoff. Love it or hate it, Cool Water is a fragrance that defined a genre called aquatics and became an icon in the late 80s and early 90s.
Cool Water’s unmistakable scent is made up of aquatic notes, heavy doses of cool and sweet mint, synthetic musk and sandalwood. CWRE is created to emphasise just the aquatic, minty and smooth aspects of Cool Water, forgoing the others that render the original as an aquatic-aromatic fragrance. Sharp, cool and crisp, it’s a scent that people can easily relate to even if they do not know the name of the perfume.
In essence, CWRE is very simplistic. It’s purely meant to be enjoyed for hot summer seasons, where the mint and addition of citrus note in the form of mandarin orange would come in handy to tolerate the harsh heat. It’s short, sweet and to-the-point, and is made for the masses who simply wants something cheap (both in price and quality) and likable for those who appreciate designer fragrances. Performance wise, the longevity is moderate: it lasts for a few hours, and the sandalwood remains on my skin for several more before it completely disappears. As a Eau de Toilette, it would be normal to spray on yourself twice a day for it to last for a full day.
I normally favour niche fragrances but a designer fragrance does come in handy if I want something that I can use generously without feeling guilty about the price. If I were to go for workouts and need something after the shower, then I would reach out for CWRE. It’s definitely not the best of its genre but it may be one of the best Cool Water flankers.
Though it smells very cheap and synthetic, it is still a pleasant fragrance. To have a colleague complimenting it and reminiscing how he used to wear it during his younger days demonstrated one thing about the fragrance: it’s a ubiquitous scent that conjures nostalgia for many men while growing up, a time where they would want to smell good but couldn’t afford to pay for niche fragrances.
kadim – :
Super sensual.. 85% like the original with a little modern twist to it ,which makes it worth the buy… If you get a deal (under $20) ,then just go for it!!
isoclaisp – :
Coral Reef is Cool Water with a bit of citrus and the peppermint note amped up, more peppermint. Original CW has better performance. Its funny how they make flankers to a modern CW formulation and not a flanker to the original formulation. But I like it
-Better bottle
-Better cap
-Better spray
Original CW is darker than this
fzlmilab8 – :
Coral Reef is my after-shower freshen-up perfume for Spring 2015. It has the original Cool Water fresh sea salty vibe, but with a dash of mint added to the formulation. If you can get it at a decent discounted price (I got my 125ml bottle for just £8 at a local discount perfume shop) then you will like it, just don’t expect a lot of silage or longevity and you won’t be disappointed. Feeling fresh and new after a shower is a great feeling, and this fragrance certainly helps to get me into that pleasant frame of mind.
vitto – :
still has the same problem like cool water: very poor longevity. overall it’s just fresher than cool wateer. the citrus scent is stronger
liverbull – :
I’ve got this one and it’s a decent scent, I’ve tried it in winter and that doesn’t really work.
It’s only for summer.
Longevity and sillage seems to be average, I guess.
My score: 7/10
lav153Unlogrere – :
The thing I like about Cool Water, more than anything else, is that it takes the rich, suave, sophisticated beauty of Green Irish Tweed and updates it with a fresher, more transparent characteristic, like taking GIT and making a figurative EDT version of it.
Coty’s Aspen for Men is the basic style and demeanor of GIT with cheaper materials and a more “outdoorsy” feel, thanks in large part to prominent wintergreen mint and green-leafy sap notes, like a fresh fougere smell after it gets filtered through a cold forest.
Cool Water Coral Reef for Men takes the elegant neroli/violet accord of the original Cool Water, that element that closely resembles GIT’s octyn esters, and embeds it in a heavy-handed structure of peppermint, peppermint, and more peppermint, with a bit of piney greenness upholding it all. For balance, the violet note is given a little extra “oomph.”
Does it smell good? Yes, although it smells a bit more synthetic than it should, and is really only slightly better in execution than Aspen (it retains clarity, and does not get all fuzzy in the far drydown). It’s not quite as satisfying as Green Irish Tweed, or Cool Water. Because it smells so similar to Aspen, and has none of the tomato leafy, sea-saltiness of CW Into The Ocean, I’ll have to rate this flanker a neutral. It’s not bad, not great, but very wearable and easy on the nose. If you like Aspen but dislike its fuzzy, cheap quality, here you go.
taliaspy – :
Soft projection yet superb longevity- yet another Cool Water flanker. I’m just saying that to be like the cool kids, though- this was my first bottle of anything Cool Water. A decent scent that smells almost exactly like the cheapie, Aspen. Only difference is that Coral Reef lasts much longer and projects a little better. Worth getting? I guess. I’m not keeping my bottle. I have better colognes to buy for $20. I have no idea who’s getting heavy sillage from this, because this stuff is weak on me. I don’t recommend.
Karamba – :
Davidoff should have titled “Cool Water…now with more mint!” I enjoy the minor twist, but longevity and projection are far less than big brother Cool Water. May be interesting buy for Cool Water fans ONLY if discounted 50% or better than the flagship fragrance cost.
zpr099intitytek – :
another dull summer edition of CW..if u r under 25y.o or CW flankers collector it’s ok..or else just waste of money.
alexa_mima – :
This one works so well with me. I loved the dry down of the original Cool Water but the opening was so strong on me that it reminded me of detergent. Nothing like this here – a light and pleasant opening and the same beautiful Cool Water dry down. Three words to describe it – fresh, aromatic, masculine.
Theobeedgessy – :
I prefer this Summer-2014-Version over the Original Cool Water. It´s fresher and more crisp than the original-one. The minty flair is more dominant, and the citrus-accent gives it a unique fresh feeling that I won´t want to miss…. Pls make this Cool Water Coral Reef as a permanent fragrance that´s sold around the year! 🙂
kekcuk – :
Another nice flanker of the Cool Water Cologne for men. Honestly, I haven’t owned the original for some time so it is hard for me to catch the differences for comparison sake. To my recollection, it seems a bit more fresh with maybe a hint more citrus on top. It was a cheep limited edition deal, so I gave it a try and am not at all displeased.
My Score: 6.5
Rustawelli – :
This juice is dedicated to those who loved and/or still love the original Cool Water.
IMO, better than the previous Pure Pacific.
An excellent fragrance for the summer to come. Clean, green, energizing indeed.
Being a fan of the 1989’s CW, I’ll give to Coral Reef a deserved 9/10.
evgin – :
i tried this today, it reminds me alot of coolwater freeze me, out of all the fragrances i tried today this was maybe the one i liked the most
Thumbs up from me!!
istomin4813 – :
Yes Bruno another one Cool Water special edition indeed and this is not nessacary bad if you add in this one more modernism together with the freshness of Cool Water, and they did it very well on that.
I like it a lot too,really refreshing during the hot days less synthetic and sharp than the original with great longevity and projection too but no offensive at all to the others at the same time.
Thumbs up to Zino’s guys.
doorhanlviv – :
I don’t know what is happening to my nose because I didn’t like any of the Cool Water fragrances. But I tried this (and yes, I TRIED, it arrived today) and I liked it. The base notes are typically Cool Water but the top notes were a game changer.
Another year another Cool Water 🙂