Echo (for men) by Davidoff (2003; 2015)

by: Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

This is another in a series of bargain fragrance reviews, scents that may be found online or at discount stores for US $25 or less. Leave a comment below for your chance to receive a sample, shipped anywhere in the world, free!

Summary: Echo, Davidoff’s second take on the marine/ozonic genre, offers a surprising interpretation of metal, air and leather that wears more like a refreshing splash of cool water with melon than the notes might suggest, and is housed in a strikingly unique bottle. The current (2015) reformulation smells and wears exactly the same as the original.

Perfumer: Alain Astori, Pierre Wargnye and Beatrice Piquet.

Try this if you like: Aquatic, ozonic or marine-themed scents; watermelon; suede; cinnamon.

Pros & Cons: Echo seems an odd launch for 2003, a little late to the metallic, fresh trend of the mid 90’s. However, I’ve always loved the scent with its surprising metallic tang and sweetnuances. Despite a lack of fruit in the composition, there is most definitely a mystery watermelon note prominent.

And about the unique names of the official notes listed below - at first sniff, it’s hard to imagine those notes as translating to this scent. One might imagine a spicy, leather aroma and oddly, it sort of is; Echo is perhaps the freshest, sweetest, fruitiest leather and spice aroma one could encounter. Echo’s suede is not necessarily a prominent theme but rather a hint of a note that is so well-blended that it’s nearly unrecognizable. I had a similar response with CK Truth for men which included basil and patchouli but to me smells like juicy plums.

Echo has been criticized as smelling synthetic, common, and plastic, but praised for its good longevity, easy price tag, overall freshness and groovy bottle. Newly re-launched, the 2015 bottle sports the Davidoff name now in print letters vs the cursive of the original release. I could easily see it as a gender bender scent as well.

Notes: “Living liquid air, metal aldehydes and white suede,” Davidoff press materials. Fragrantica adds, “The base notes are: chili, nutmeg, black pepper, musk, cedar, sandalwood and white suede.”

Reminds me of: CK Escape for Men (Echo is a bit sweeter), Davidoff Silver Shadow Altitude, Joop Splash, Bond No 9 I Love New York for Him, Antonio Banderas Blue Seduction for Men, CK Eternity for Men Summer Variations, CK Truth for Men (Echo is a bit spicier), Nautica Competition (yellow bottle).

Designer’s Description:N/A

Number of times tested:100+ times over the last 12 years.

Number of sprays applied for this review: 2 sprays to the back of my hand from a 100ml bottle I purchased (ca. 2015, re-launch).

Fragrance strength:Eau de Toilette

Development: (Linear / Average / Complex): I find Echo to be rather linear with no real development to speak of though I routinely feel like there’s a hint of cinnamon somewhere in Echo that isn’t listed in the composition. For some this simplicity allows the scent to be easy to wear; for others it results in a yawn.

Longevity: (Short/ Average / Long-lasting) I’m always surprised by Echo as the longevity is surprisingly good. I get around 7-8 hours with a few liberal sprays and find it lasts even longer on fabric.

Sillage: (A Little / Average / A Lot) I’ve received compliments and offered others compliments on this one. Not in your face, but definitely not a skinscent. Likely office safe.

Note about the packaging:A rectangular, transparent, sky blue, glass bottle whose surface recalls undulating water. The bottle sports a silver spray mechanism in one corner and is housed in a simple, silver paper box. As noted above, the current reformulation lists the brand name in print on the bottle and box rather than in cursive.

Where can I buy it?A 100ml EDT spray can be found online or in discount stores for around $20 USD.

The Bottom Line: Ah Echo, I am so happy to have this back in my rotation – nothing else wears quite as fresh and sweet while offering a hint of spice and suede at the same time. In keeping with the name, my experience with this scent is indeed an echo of the past, having first owned a bottle back in 2003 when it first launched, once more about 6 years ago before it went to my dad, and then again this year in its reformulation.

My first memories of Echo are via a mini bottle that I purchased and wore while in Okinawa. As such, Echo is associated with blue waters, white sands, fresh air and striking island landscapes. Isn’t it amazing how our scented associations can play such a strong role in our relationships with certain aromas? I remember finding it unoriginal yet totally fresh and addictive – the perfect easy aroma for a beach vacation. I bought a large bottle soon after and an accompanying after shave balm that I used as a body lotion. I left it behind at my dad’s house while on holiday there, only to return the following year to find my dad smelling, well, pretty damn good, a departure from his normal routine of Royal Copenhagen aftershave. “Dad, what is THAT?” I asked. “I don’t know, something in a blue bottle that your step-mother gave me,” he replied. I couldn’t argue that it was mine when I had so many others and he was so enjoying Echo. “It’s not sugary sweet,” he noted, “I hate that sweet stuff.”Hmmm, I find it pretty darn sweet.

After that, I had been keeping my eyes on Echo while at TJ Max, a US discount shop. You know how you put something into your shopping cart and then at the last minute argue that you don’t need it and so remove it, only to come back to it again on your next visit thinking you should buy it but then don’t? I was an Echo stalker. A few weeks ago I decided that at $20 USD I couldn’t resist. And so back in the rotation it goes and I just can’t get enough of it. I think it must be its familiarity that endears me to it as my partner thinks it smells like the laundry detergent isle. The thing is, I kind of love the laundry detergent isle and anything that smells like fabric softeners - here’s looking at you Giorgio Wings for Men (1993) and Van Cleef by Van Cleef&Arpels(1994) - is likely a sure win for me.