Beware of cheap imitations: Some customers notice that Davidoff perfumes that are available at large discounts tend to evaporate much more quickly than versions for which they pay the full price. They recommend buying the fragrance from the authorized vendor, if not from the Davidoff website directly.

When is each fragrance appropriate: There is a definite difference in when you should wear each fragrance. For example, the Davidoff Adventure is intended for casual occasions, while the Silver Shadow Attitude, with its subtle, sweet citrus scent is intended for use during the spring and summer, when outdoors.

Different notes in fragrances: Fragrances are composed of a number of scents, some of which are noticeable immediately upon application, while others reveal themselves gradually as the alcohol in the fragrance evaporates. You will see a fragrance described as having top (or head) notes, middle (or heart) notes, and base notes.

• Top notes: These are scents consisting of light molecules that evaporate quickly. In the case of Davidoff’s famous Cool Water perfume, the top notes are mint, sea water, and rosemary. In their Cool Water Wave perfume, they use fresh grapefruit and sichuan pepper as the top notes, to give the sensation of an “adrenaline rush”. A popular Eau de Toilette, Davidoff Adventure, has strong citrus top notes, which is your initial impression. However, as the top notes dissipate, the fragrance becomes one that is woody and spicy.

• Middle notes: These are essences that start to reveal themselves from 20 minutes to one hour after applying the fragrance. Cool Water’s middle notes are lavender, jasmine, geranium and neroli. The heart note of the Cool Water Wave fragrance consists of aromatic juniper berries, birch leaves, and orange flowers.

• Bottom notes: These are essences that consist of the largest molecules, that evaporate the most slowly, and are the scent that remains for hours after application. This stage is called the “drydown”, after all the other elements in the fragrance have departed. Cool Water’s bottom notes are oakmoss, musk, and sandalwood. The base note of the Cool Water Wave fragrance is a mix of sandalwood and patchouli.

Orientals: There are fragrances called “orientals” which have a base of resins and balsams, such as amber, and tend to last longer with greater intensity. One example is the Davidoff Hot Water, with a base of styrax, a heart of pimento and patchouli, and top notes of absinthe and red basil.

Davidoff--is a maker of a fashion line of watches, writing instruments, leather goods, cufflinks, eyewear, fragrances, and even coffee and cognac. The company was founded in 1980 by Zino Davidoff in Geneva, Switzerland. They started their line of fragrances in 1984, and make perfumes for men and women. They presently have a number of collections and blends of perfumes, the most famous of which is their Cool Water line.