@scandium @nopoleskier @MissySki - Compression is an insane category subset. Research is still kind of in the early stages. Some garments are pretty innovative based on the things kinesiologists have found so far. Others wade into the pseudoscience realm - like wearing a waist trainer to get permanently skinny or wearing copper infused garments to manage pain.
CW-X definitely looks much more like the former. They speak intelligibly to different levels of compression and clearly speak to how they don't meet FDA requirements to be classified a medical device. Compression is shown to increase skin temps (vs. core) so I can definitely see that being helpful, and at their prices, I'd be shocked if they weren't delivering at least moderate wicking performance.
@scandium, as for your layers, wool would be more of a midlayer since your compression piece is going to do all of your wicking and drying. From what it sounds like, your wool layer isn't very sweaty throughout the ski day. Wool's not a terrible mid-layer, especially in a thick knit. Ortovox is even a unique brand that offers a lot of midlayers that are 20-30% wool. You can get better warmth-for-weight in a synthetic, at a lower price point, that tends to be more durable or at least easier to care for. But overall much better than, say, using Capilene on top of another base layer.
When I talk about inactive base layers, I mean good layers for around home, walking the dog, cold weather hunting & fishing, etc. Like I bought a handful of $18 Cuddl Duds when I started skiing, just before I started working in apparel. Now I only use them in my freezing home office to keep from having to crank the heat allll day.
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