Kouros Yves Saint Laurent for men

This is SO shit. Can't believe it is paired with Body Kouros.

2/10

I must admit that I love Kouros. it's strong and shows very masculinity. You have to have balls to wear it. I wear it a lot, and don't have any problem with that. Its a statement.

This was the first fragrance I purchased for myself in the early 80s. I even bought it duty free at an airport which at the time made it even more special. But by the 90s it seemed like I had outgrown it and and I stupidly threw out the remainder of the bottle. I felt it was time to move on, not realising that you never really move on from something (or someone) that you truly loved.

Fast forward to last year when I was contacted by my birth mother. Like me, she loves fragrance and I began to revisit the colognes of my youth to show her what I used to wear. I tried the newest reformulation of Kouros and could not believe how bad it was. I literally thought I was going to be sick. Where had that beautiful fragrance gone? Well, tonight I went into an old perfumery looking for something else and came upon a very old half used tester of vintage Kouros. I offered the lady money and bought it on the spot. The vintage formulation is as strong and enigmatic as I remember. So I'm back with my Mum, I'm back with my Dad and now I'm back with my Kouros as well!

Man, I am one lucky guy.

I just cannot find a more superior fragrance than Kouros. I've searched high and low for years to no avail. I thought that Lapidus PH could be a contender, I was wrong. I thought for a short time that Opium PH may be the one, but once again the new contender fell short. I have finally found my signature scent. If I lost all of my bottles tomarrow, but still had Kouros, I would be content.

Every day I wear this scent, I get nothing but positive feedback from both men and women. The two words that come up the most frequently are "unique" and different", so I know I'm doing something right when wearing this giant. As the lady below stated, to truly appreciate this cologne, you need to wear it in the summer to unthaw the beast from the ice. I want this sprayed, and the bottle put in my casket when I'm gone.

It is my DH's signature scent and this is a yes to the question whether I would buy it again. I cannot say I can wholeheartedly give it the highest rating, because it's a tad too linear to my nose and a bit nosehair-curling at the application. But it does settle into a nice dry white floral scent with a slight dash of just-out-of-the-freezer aquatics stirred into it, and i would say it's a good tonic to one's senses. I do not think it shines in colder months: it's razor sharp then and just doesn't peak because it lacks temperature for a full blossom. The staying power and silage deserve nothing but admiration. A great one from monsieur YSL - a reliable timeless classic.

King Kouros. One of my 1st buys in the 80's. I recently picked up the reformulated and it's still a powerhouse that I love to wear. Long live the king!

I have an after shave of Kouros. It´s maybe 15 years old, or about that. I often wonder when I wear it, how can a person be so talented to come up with something so wonderful as this.

The problem is that people insist on outside the "cave" extremely lethal wolf, which hunts only at night to hunt and put the sun at noon .... with that it loses it's surprise effect!

im gonna keep this review short ...
two words to describe this everlasting scent ....................luxurious.........classy.

This fragrance has been on the market for over 30 yrs and its still causing a storm.

When initially realeased the choice of sophisticated and elegant males fragrances were minimal..

Unless you can obtain the original formulation ,I would suggest you dont bother with the current version.

I really like this fragrance as it conjurs up many fond memories of my past..but I can also understand why some folk may not find it equally attractive

Probably one of the most 'gendered' things I've ever smelled, but it's so overstated that the macho can be played with or otherwise gotten around. Mostly honeyed musk and leafy sage. Some say dog urine. I say it smells like the balls of God. As a female sort, I really like this as a layering agent for dirtying up anything pretty or amplifying anything rich. Just a very small drop of Kouros lends a subliminal animalism. Worn alone it's compulsively sniffable, but I can't wear it in public because I'll sniff myself too much or be mistaken for a Greek man or something. I could only imagine a totally non-sleazy man with a lot of composure pulling this off these days.

The vintage Kouros is really a longevity MONSTER. It lasts on me about 17 hours. I hope the reformulated one isn't much weaker. The new bottle of this juice is a totally must have for me.

I admit : I do not have the ability to understand such a complex fragrance , its been more than 15 years i am very much into fragrances of various origins from Designers to niche , Middle Eastern to Indian but .....Kouros has compelled me to admit .. i dont even know the 'P' of Perfumery......... I really regret whatever i wrote for you , Kouros. when ever i sprayed it to get the desired / expected projection of notes , it was always shockingly twisting in predefined span.... woo .... cant predict what will come out after half an hour as i sprayed it now...........................really beyond my anticipations............... if i would be asked to relate it with a hollywood movie ,,that would definitely be the ' God Father '

Tried this today at Boots. It wasn't that bad. Does not remind me of urinal cake or urine or whatever. Quite linear. It was kinda strong the first couple of minutes but as you go along, you are left with a pleasant floral woody scent. However, there's this odd note in the distance...yep, it's the civet. It's not strong enough to make Kouros stinky but just enough to give it character.

And one more thing:

If you don't know HOW to use it, better don't use it at all. I guess most of you possibly just overspray Kouros. I tell you, 5 sprays, even of reformulated one - I wouldn't dare. 3 sprays is absolutely maximum. I have a decant only, and I use 3 half-sprays. That's an optimal amount for me. Guess I wouldn't like to know how the person who oversprayed Kouros smells like, really. Seriously.

And once again I'm saying: I don't think Body Kouros is discontinued.

To my horror I was given a bottle of this poisonous dog's urine. I really like powerhouse fragrances 'Antaeus, Obsession, Drakkar etc' but this is utterly disgusting, I literally have no idea what benefit anyone would have to spraying it on their skin. In a hope that they'd reformulated it I visited Debenhams and sprayed it on my arm, within 10 minutes I was desperately trying to scrape it off, gave me a huge headache and made me feel about 87 years old. Ebay here it comes. I agree with housebliss, Body was such a gorgeous scent. YSL what were you thinking!!!

No, it's not a myth. It's still alive. And will be alive, it actually doesn't matter how much and how many people(like some here, no offence) hate it.

I absolutely deny that it smells like urine or scat. It's not true. Yes, the opening is simillar to dirty water closet, but not to pure urine, for sake!

And, I repeat, once again, if you cannot smell that this fragrance grows, evolves in time, you are probably having a nausea or something more serious... What I can obviously say, except the opening, it smells NICE and attracts women. Yes. At least on my skin.

And BTW, I don't think that Body Kouros is discontinued. I might be wrong, but I don't think so.

This scent is pure Bravado. I think it is a unique fragrance. I enjoy the Oakmoss in this fragrance. Here's my caveat: Very Strong, Very Animalic.
(Does anyone else smell horse piss?!?!)

Use in moderation 1-2 sprays and NEVER in the office

Rating: 7/10

I don't get anything animalic, but I find it very sexy and alluring. In the same time there is a clean side, turing the perfume really abstract. Love this duality!

I had the old school original scent, hated it at first and only used it few times but then the scent grew on me. When the bottle was over is when one female commented on it .

I must say it stand out above the rest! I wish I could get the original!

Okay, Vintage vs. Latest reformulation (L'oreal).

I didn't have a 1981 vintage bottle of Kouros but I did have a bottle of juice that was made prior to the first acknowledged reformulation in the early 2000s. I just purchased a new bottle of Kouros from Amazon. (Yes the bottle has also changed. Still same shape, but the silver ring lies only on the cap and not the shoulder and bottom and the font is also slightly different).

The juice: When Yves Saint Laurent died in 2009 the house was sold to L'oreal. The latest reformulation/bottle change of the juice occurred in mid 2010. The latest reformulation is dialed down quite a bit from what it used to be. The opening/top notes have certainly been held back; the citrus opening and especially the civet. It was the civet opening that I love about the original. It was the constant contrast between clean and soapy vs. dirty/animalic. The civet note is still there but it is not nearly as pronounced. However after around an hour the two smell almost identical to me but the original does seem a bit richer and pungent. I still detect the heavy incense/leather combo with a hint of honey mid/drydown in both juices.

So should I get the vintage or buy the current? I would absolutely buy the vintage or even prior to the latest reformulation if you can find/can afford it. A good rule of thumb would be to look for bottles that still have the silver metal lining on the shoulder/bottom of bottle. Again, I have not smelled the early eighties original but I can say L'oreal destroyed what Kouros was. The opening/first hour was so strong and wonderfully contrasted with the civet musk. However, especially by today's standards of what a man should smell like, this is still a wonderful fragrance. In the contemporary aqautic and light scented age Kouros continues to remain unique and controversial. If you have read up on Kouros and still think this is something for your tastes it is still worth it to buy the recent formulation in my opinion.

Recent formulation (Original 10/10):
Projection: 9/10
Longevity: 9/10
Scent: 8/10
You will certainly get noticed. And if you have the masculine/mature personality to contribute in addition, take your place at the front of the pack because this scent demands respect. And you will get attention from women, but just the kind that like their men to smell like men.

My orginal review:smells like grandpa got caught in a nuclear reactor. exploded through the bathroom wall, rolled in the grass, smacked into a tree, then landed on top of the dog house. Ultra powered frag that has some volatile , choking, stinging notes. Subtle? no . sweet? no. Manly? about as manly as stewing old spice,gasoline, toilet bowl cleaner, a spice rack, and a horses ass, but you wouldnt catch me wearing that stew would you? A unanimous NO from every woman thats graced a few foot radius from me. In fact, I think a couple of them may of filed restraining orders in the time I was wearing this.

if they dialed down the spices and got rid of the civet and replaced it with the musk notes polo has it would be perfect

NEW EDIT:Ive tried giving this multiple second chances, but its not happening. smells like soap and a big, sweaty, spice eaters B.O. Its like going to the gym and getting stuck next to the only person who hasnt showered all day, or getting stuck in a subway car next to a dirty hipster. Except this time...its you. A co-worker of mine sometimes dosnt shower because he likes the smell of his own funk, and everyone at my job complains. Thus being said, he loved this one the few times i wore it.

Im pretty sure my dad wore this once or twice, maybe used up a bottle when i was a kid. because I vaguely remember smelling this and getting grossed out. This is coming from a person who loves classics like Eau Sauvage , old spice, and drakkar noir.

Incredible. As you all well know that piece is definitely not for everyone. Hard and deadly masculine. Dont believe he's innocent white bottle. Monster inside. Whatever happens he deserves respect. Real respect because it's gotta be hard to create such scent like that. Shortly if you wear low hip jeans, Kouros makes you pull it up. Hope i could explain how it's deadly masculine. :)

when i first got this scent i liked it, i didnt love it but it wasn't bad. ive worn it 4 or 5 times since and now i love it every time i wore it i liked it a bit more. on my skin scents tend to have poor longevity and projection so i personally don't have to worry much about this scent being to strong, but i see how that could be a problem. to me its just basically what i always want to smell like, manly strong and classic

This is a fragrance that should really ever be worn 'sparingly' (as it's a highly concentrated/opaque fragrance) and in my opinion, it should really only be worn in VERY COOL weather conditions. Wearing Kouros in warm-to-hot temperatures is simply not a good idea.

Warmer temperatures tend to augment this fragrance (as well as many others of its vintage) to smell sour and very cloying. Even when used sparingly, the notes of this fragrance are just too full and heady for the heat.

Having prefaced that, this IS a very handsome, quality frangrance when worn with minimal application and in the right climactic conditions. If one does not consider the aforementioned, its monster projection and silage can easily overpower and offend anyone within 5 metres of you and with 8 to10 hours longevity.

I have worn this fragrance numerous times in the late autumn and winter season (with thoughtful consideration) and I have only ever received positive comments from people. It's a very likeable, masculine fragrance when worn carefully.

The key here is; "Less is More and the Cooler the Better."

This is a vintage masterpiece that demands and deserves Respect.

R Kelly's signature;)

I love how this fragrance still ellicits such strong reactions. A very polarising creation. I can respect and understand the views held at each end of the spectrum.

I felt that I had to reply to Hooper's comments as I had a Kouros related incident this morning after only my second public wearing.

I sat alongside a lady while wearing possibly one or two squirts too many of the fragrance in question. She immediately leant away from me and began wafting the scent with a pamphlet she had been reading. My first experience of an obvious reaction to a fragrance that I have been wearing. I have to admit that I quite enjoyed it.

I don't think its horses ass you are smelling but the excretions from the anal glands of the civet - or a chemical concoction created to mimic that scent.

I'm afraid that I like Kouros so much that I am willing to bear the whips and scorns of public reaction to get my hit.

After sampling Musc Koublai Khan I had whined (like a little girl I now realise) that the animalic effect was too low volume and too short lived. All this time the answer to my problem was sitting in plain sight.

Kouros is a powerful, manly punch to the senses. It is a kicking of sand into the faces of lesser scents. But really, even with its bad habits and over the top displays of machismo, how could anyone not love this beast of a fragrance.

At least after wear this >3 times properly someone will understand its magic. First time I tried I must had put it too much so it smelled disguisting. Just 2-3 thin spray at your chest, 1 spray for each wrist also behind the neck. drydown will be awesome..

One of the things that I adore in it is that it smells different each time when I wear it. It sometimes smells like a man's body just after having sex(wild sex!) with woman. Sometimes it smells like a clean pure soap put on the toilet bowl. Both times women sniff me when I wear it!

Sex in the bottle, that's what it is!

Kouros smells bodily and alive, however, it doesn't smell like underarms or feet or anything unpleasant (at least not on me/to me).

It smells just like pre-worn clothes that have been in the hamper for a few days, or like a man who fell asleep in his day-clothes and woke up the next morning.

It can be a little bit sour and opaque at times, but it's always mature and sexy--a winner in my book.

A force of nature. It is as if three separate fragrances appear at various times, and in no particular order:

1) A stone wall, drenched with natural history
2) Archaic spices (like frankincense and myrrh)
3) Sweet flowers, citrus, and spice

At times comforting, then alternating cold and heartless. Nothing else is like it. A masterpiece. Always pleasant.

Well, I know it very short period of time and I already fell in love with it...

Yes, it is a strange fragrance. Not for everybody. But it seems it mixes perfectly with my skin.

Yes, I feel quite a lot of civet in it, indeed. But I think it makes it more masculine, stronger.

I feel the civet during first 3 hours only. Then, it's becoming, as I said before, very masculine, clean fragrance with a hint of sweetness(honey, patchouli). I feel quite a lot of freshness too!

I wouldn't say you have to be an old man to wear it. No. You have to have type of personality, that Kouros fits to - brave, maybe a little arrogant, a kind of a leader.
I think I'm falling in love with it. Thank you Mr. Bourdon!

having tried this on a couple of occasions i must say it has really grown on me! quite unique.

Fuckin A! The love bar is making a comeback! I knew this pornographic masterpiece in a bottle couldn't be ignored! What's funny is, I actually lift more weight in the gym when wearing this fragrance because it gives me that constant reminder of my manhood membership.

Funny story real quick...I work in a hospital around pretty girls all day long, working ER security. A few days ago I was minding my own business walking past the admitting desk when this cute girl raised her head and said, "I knew I smelled you!" (I wear Kouros pretty much every day, year round). I said, "Really? That could be a good thing or a bad thing." She said, "No, It's good actually. You have a distinctive smell that's different then other guys." I thanked her and moved on as she smiled like a shit eating possum.

Guys look, you really need to give this fragrance a shot if you haven't tried it. If you have and didn't like it the first time, give Kouros a second chance! Incense fragrances are what's in style now, and Kouros is an incense beast! Do you want to keep wearing boring ass aquatics your whole life, thus smelling like every other goof out there, or are you ready to step up your game? The choice is yours.

its basically a machine gun in a bottle..and its extremely vulgar. And thats EXACTLY why I love it. If you claim to be a pretty laid back dude, who likes to deflect attention to someone else, while you lay in the cut...THIS AINT FOR YOU.

I read reviews about this frag, and I just shake my head. It may be offensive, inasmuch as it just overwhelms you with all of its notes, but its far away from being an awful-smelling cologne.

Its the wimps that cant tolerate it...LOL.

the thing I like about it is the civet and the leather. Civet is usually found in 'chick frags'. And there are times when I smell a particular cologne that I like, and I get the feeling that it would be so much better if there was some "civet butthole flavor" in it.

well, 'Kouros' was made for me...lol...the leather and civet combine in a way that amlmost smells like that incense that you smell in Episcopalian services..or maybe a Catholic Mass.

and whats so ironic about that little revelation is that 'Kouros' might just be the most UNHOLY cologne out there...LOL

I love it. I dont wear it often at all...but when I go to a concert, where the environment is kinda small and smells like sweat and BO, I wear 'Kouros", cuz I figure my cologne should be as offensive as the setting Im in..lol.

but then again, if you wear it in moderation, its actually an extremely elegant fragrance. ONLY FOR GROWN ASS MEN..Any kid that tries to wear this, is going to look like the dork that stole his ol man's cologne. Just leave it alone, and stick to Curve or some other tired "middle of the road" thing-a-ma-jiggy-juice, for adolescents and 20-something peeps.

Kouros:

Back story:
After much internal debate, I decided to blind buy this scent.
As I opened the box the tension was splitting: would I love or hate it? I sprayed the first gentle billow on my wrist...and inhaled.
To be clear, it is NOTHING like any of the negative reviews have made it out to be, NOTHING. I have unfortunately, not been blessed to have the opportunity of smelling a deodorizing cake, or animal sweat, or whatever; but I imagine they could not smell as complex and unforgettable as this.

Scent:
It opens with a lot of leather and honey; with civet mixed right under the surface and some kind of citrus that gives it a certain sharpness.
It's middle is very aromatic, and floral. It is brought momentarily to the top with movement or a calm breeze.
The base is where, in my opinion, the animalism sets in: I smell musk, civet, and a smooth/rich amber.
9.5/10

Projection/Longevity:
I sprayed one spray on a card, and could smell it throughout the house; so yes, it projects.
I cannot speak to its longevity because I have only had it on for a few hours.
9.0/10

Overall:

A wonderful scent with a strong, clean, and raw personality.
9.25/10

This smell is absolutely abrasive.

Kouros came out in 1981 and I remember that round about that time I had it. At that time I realy like the scent. As far as I can remember, I only had one bottle. Maybe time to smell it again because it was, and probably is, a good scent still.

Time to rally the Kouros troops! Lets get this love bar past the dislike bar now!! This masterpiece doesn't deserve the abuse these Aqua Di Geo zombies have given it!

LOCK N' LOAD!!

Kouros is not my favorite fragrance but I am appalled by some of the venomous reviews here. If you're offended by fragrances that diverge from the generic scent of your shampoo, then, not only Kouros, but a large proportion of the stellar products of the perfumer's art, are not for you. Stick with sporty deodorant.
Secondly, checking out a scent on a paper strip means you never get past the top notes and you're insufficiently informed to review it. Unless you've at least given it a few hours on your wrist, don't.
Thirdly, if you're idea of trying on a scent is to check with everybody you know whether they like it on you or not, you lack the confidence that is an integral part of making a fragrance work. Wearing a fragrance successfully requires a degree of arrogance whether you're man or woman. Timidity is the enemy of style.
Kouros doesn't smell anything like cat pee or urinal cakes. In its current formulation, it's even a little soapy on first application. On drydown, I get carnation and jasmine and only the merest hint of civet. But I suppose for people used to the olfactory equivalent of elevator music, even that faint note is jarring.

I can’t believe my eyes! On our beloved site, today, the number of people who dislike YSL’s Kouros is bigger than the number of those who love it or like it! Incredible!
Sorry to remind you that, folks, but – as Aristotle said it some times ago – democracy doesn’t necessarily signify quality… at least in terms of perfumes’ related sentences…
I beg to differ: Kouros is a perfect Top Ten fragrance for every mature man. Only a woman born on Mars (and, I’m afraid, who died on Saturn) will ignore such a scent on your skin.
I’m happy to be part of this minority – the marginal group of those (males and females) who know that simple truth: YSL’s Kouros is one of the best perfumes for men still available!
Overall, a 9+/10

Simply the best smell i can imagine! LOVELY.

A friend of mine has an older formulation of this fragrance and it smelled wet and sexy on him. That scent tempted me big time to get a bottle for myself.
I was at a fragrance store with my friend yesterday and found the current formulation of it for sale at a very reasonable price and really had the urge to buy it then. Before I did so, my friend picked up the tester and spray some of the fragrance on a couple strips of mouilette for us to give a final test. That scent came out to be very different from what I smelled on my friend before. Across the isle then I heard an SA talking to her colleague and asked him what was that stinky smell. She commented that there must be one of those little kits around urinated somewhere. It was funny to hear the SA made that comment because that Kouros must have been there for a long time without anyone ever trying it at all; otherwise, she should have known that the urine smell came from the bottle. Now I'm thinking should I still go ahead to buy the newer Kouros or should I just beg my friend to share some from his bottle with me.


Post Note: I guess Kouros is really a love/hate kind of fragrance and same as other fragrances, it may also react differently on different people. I begged my friend to share his goody 90's version of Kuoros, that smelled most sexy and beautiful on him, and finally got 5mls of it from him. Last week I tried it on for an entire evening and honestly, it had to be me, it was not it. It smelled just as strong of urine as the one in the store before except it didn't have that sharp nose stinging sensation.

Since I have 5ml of this supposed to be good 'fragrance', I'll give it more tries and hopefully I'll be able to acquire the taste or learn to appreciate it and love it like all other die-hard Kouros fans. However, if the 5ml were gone and I still couldn't pull it off, then I just have to admit that it is not a fragrance for all, me counted. I can't care less how others rave about any fragrance if I find them smelling stinky on my skin as the sole purpose of my using of fragrance is to please my nose and spirit and no one else.

I respect the people who like this, but for me this is just repulsive... Kouros has exactly the same smell as my office's restrooms. Way too vulgar, not a single woman gave me a positive feedback. The only point is that it is long lasting for sure, I had to wash my hands several times to get the smell off me.

Sorry, but they should have discontinued this one instead of M7 or Rive Gauche... Yuck.

As a person that likes sweet smelling fragrances, this is somehow sweet and simultaneously gross. What's funny is I've smelled this before, in public. It will be remembered, but not in your benefit. I would consider it infamous. I got comments right away after trying it. "what smells?" mostly. Tried to blame it on the car vents ha.

The smell I recall was not something I would have ever considered to be a cologne. I just thought the building vents had a buildup of mildew. Kind of nauseating. Now I know it was just someone invading my space. So it is kind of obnoxious.

Reading all these comments is just hilarious. The people that dislike it feel it is obnoxious and the people that do like it think everyone else is weak or needs to fix their olfactory bulb. Maybe there is some truth in these comments haha.

Anyway, please if you wear this cologne, tone it down. You may like it, but many others might not. Maybe our nostrils aren't mature, all I know is it provided my mom with a weezing fit and me with the desire to gag. Maybe I am just "weak" or "immature." haha

That said, don't rely on my judgment. Just try it out for yourself, you might come to love it. I see no middle ground here so go out and try it!

I havent sampled the reformulation...(when did that happened?) But I remember LOVING this perfum in the early 90s. I remember this scent making all men extremely sensual and attractive (I am a female). I guess I'll have to get a sample and if it is still the way I remember it, I must buy it for my hubby! :)

You can't make Kouros without natural civet. The civet was it's heart and soul. I pity those noses that haven't smelled and enjoyed pre-reformulation Kouros.

My uncle has been wearing Kouros for as long as I can remember. Only I didn't know it was a fragrance, I just thought he naturally smelled that way.
But it suits him. He's a mature man with hairy forearms and a hairy chest who is dressed well and always calm an reassuring.
He is the unofficial head of the family who you go to when you need help and when he greets you with a smile and a hug and you smell the Kouros... it is just so comforting. He smells like THE man in the room.

I have no idea how I feel about this scent. On the one hand it smells human and comfortable and kinda like a grandfather, but on the other hand it smells like a men's urinal. I sprayed the paper tester a week ago and it's still overpowering my room, so maybe hold it far away from you when you spray? Or clean it up by layering with something? I dunno, I'm not an expert, all I know is that it does what it does perfectly, it just becomes overwhelming and kinda cloying much too quickly if you're wearing it.

This is the kind of cologne that doesn´t need any reviews......

I mean it is what it is, a legend

Pure sexuality my ass! This is piss in a flacon. This is the kind of cologne you wear when you're going through a divorce or if you're on the verge of calling it quits whether it be a relationship with a person or job. This is the April Fools joke of fragrances. Sexuality? Yeah right!! What county? What state? What country? What planet?

Only certian men can pull this off. It really is that dividing. I could barely handle this one. I usually would have to wet my hands with water, spray ONCE into my palm and then apply to my neck. DONE.

This is overtly formal wear.

Indispensable para el aficionado a la perfumerìa. Realmente impactante, no precisamente bello ni agradable, pero una masterpiece en todo su sentido.
10/10

I have the reformulation, no idea on the original:

Sharp herbal opening with a distinctly harsh scent, a middle that is subjectively floral in a 70s pornstache kind of a sense that is reminiscent of urinal cake if you really think about it too hard (I would also agree with the ashy floral comments other people have on it); finally drying down to honeyed piss and incense you would use to cover up marijuana stank.

Interesting. I mean that unsarcastically. Heavily masculine. One bottle will probably last forever, but it is not only distinctly 80s but also has a perfect "old man" vibe to it.

Pretty much unwearable outside unless you're alone.

I have a bottle from 2007-08 which is pre new re-formulation. It smelled weird to me at first as I, like others, had read the hype on the web and gave in and I found this bottle for $29 shipped. It has grown on me and is in my top 10 now. It is very complex. It is for mature audiences only and it quite possibly might have magical animalic aphrodisiacal qualities. First spray out of bottle as mentioned I was somewhat taken aback and disoriented. Takes more than one wear to judge.

This one of several fragrances I picked up samples of after reading through many posts on this forum. For some reason I had never tried this when it was in its original heyday in the 80's, even though I seem to have worn a lot of the other "power" scents of the time (Aramis, Lagerfeld), etc.). So I'm sure what I picked up is a reformulation.

This is just dreadful stuff. This scent is one of the very few I've encountered in a long time that is so completely noxious and different 1 hour or so after application than the way the cologne smells straight from the atomizer. The only cologne I can remember having this kind of negative reaction to is when years ago I tried Fahrenheit and two people that day told me that I smelled like insect repellent (I thought so too, but didn't run to the shower until these two folks confirmed what I suspected.)

I cannot pick up any of the notes that drew me to give it a try (leather, tonka bean, vanilla). There is nothing I can say positive about this - it just stinks, my impression is some sort of industrial cleaning solvent, mixed with an overpowering floral powdery reek, mixed with some type of baby lotion or powder product that has been liberally poured on plastic that has been heated to the point of melting.

Very feminine smelling to me also, but in a bad way. I wear several scents that are labelled "unisex", which is a term I despise.

A lot of the descriptions here lead one to think of sex, wild animals, and other enticements, but that is just a bunch of tommyrot.

I usually get pretty sound advice on these matters from my wife, other female acquaintances, and a few opinionated male friends, and this one is unanimously given a thumbs down.

I just realized the tree is missing some notes.
The top is missing neroli-very important and obvious! There is also some fennel and anise, lending the "ouzo accord".

The base is missing sandalwood and the incense note-frankincense and myrrh. Otherwise the ancient temple accord is forgotten. I am pretty sure there is some castoreum here as well. Perhaps the civet should be forgotten, as it get so many complaints.

As far as the fecal note, I would say you wearers are practicing poor hygene after using the washroom if you detect this.

This is the quintessential powerhouse fragrance for men. Everything else was a rewrite. It is the ultimate "come hither" scent. Satyrs and gods need only wear it. Prudes and small endowed men should avoid it altogether. I think thats where the complaints come from.

I remember this from the 80s. Post-sex skank smell, it kind of works well on men on a wild night out if you're dancing and sweating a lot. Obviously not for work. And I think it's maybe a bit too loud and obvious for a more mature man. I must confess I quite like it but wouldn't want it around me all the time - it's not exactly a comfort scent!

Woman repellant in a bottle!!

Note: I am a female

My father owns this colone. It is too potent...even he doesn't like it. Smelling it is like being punched in the nose with a bag of cinnamon and wood.

Projection: 6 feet
Longevity 12 hrs+
Office safe: No too strong
Timing: Winter / Evenings

Disclamer: my experience may be different from your experience based on the season, and my personal tastes

I was fortunate enough to have found an "original" bottle of Kouros at a discount store here in Melbourne.I applied the "original" on my wrist and then went next door to a large department store and applied the current version.

The current version lasted about 1hr to 2hrs before fadind..The "original' peaked after 2hrs, by that time the full Kouros fragrance was in full flight..I went for a swim at my local pool ,showered and could still detect the fragrance on my wrist 6hrs after spraying only twice..

I really wouldnt bother with the current Kouros..YSL in Melbourne were discounting at 50% of on Kouros..I doubt if it will be continued...The Civet made a significant differance

After reading the polarized reviews on this scent I looked forward to testing it - so test it I did at a giant perfume discounter alongside I-95 in North Carolina.

My wife was with me; neither of us got the cat urine/urine cake smell that is described for this. Or the industrial floor wax smell. So our first response was positive. I sprayed some on me and occasionally checked back with my wife as we shopped - "Still like it?" She nodded okay. But only okay, not "You have GOT to buy this."

The problem emerged during the remaining three hours of the trip in the car as the base notes began to get on my nerves. By the time we got home I quickly took off my shirt and scrubbed my neck. I could still smell it on me the following morning - this stuff has longevity.

But it isn't for me. My wife is neutral about it. I read somewhere that if you wear this in a restaurant you may be asked to leave. I totally don't get that.

Seen comments on how this is 'what a man should smell like'.
If a man had been manly enough to ever go inside an urinal, he wouldn't have said so, because then he would've been able to draw a striking comparison between that half-cleaned urinal and Kouros; and I am very sure a man is not supposed to smell like urine unless he is without a home.
I know everyone has their own opinion, but for somethings, there are very clear rules. It is like asking 'Is smelling great a good thing or smelling dreadful a good thing?' - common sense.
I remember the first time I wanted to try this at a departmental store, the saleswoman literally pulled up a face that showed pure disgust and said very clearly 'You wouldn't like it sir.' I insisted that I try it on but then she downright said 'I do not want so spray it, sir, this makes me gag.' I made her spray it anyways and she pinched her nose right away and retreated to the far corner of the counter - all dignity forgotten. I was left standing there with a strong urge to throw up as the horrifying fumes crawled up my nose attacking every inch of my olfactory sense and threatened to knock me out like some form of chloroform.

I can't give you the note breakdown as I did not even try to dissect this...thing..that was in the air.

Just because it comes in a bottle that looks good carrying the Yves Saint Laurent name doesn't mean this has to be classified as a 'fragrance'.
A very old product that has miraculously survived several decades whereas good FRAGRANCES are discontinued.

If you have never smelt this and want to try it on yourself just to associate yourself with this alleged 'classic', just don't. Save yourself the money...buy something that would actually make you smell nice and not like a slob...afterall that is what something classified as a fragrance does. Right? Get yourself a 13 dollar Old Spice...and smell like a real gentleman will you?

I adore YSL Opium,Jazz & Rive gauche with this background I tried this monster.

After first spray, only smell struck me was civet I was waiting for top note to settle down and give way to other notes but no change for hours I felt that civet is sitting in pocket and annoying me with his secretions for hours. May be after 3-4 hours honey showed up for some time on civet background and did not go any further for hours.

This is very different fragrance from YSL with dominating civet note. I think Ted Lapidus PH has done a great job by eliminating civet note in similar type of fragrance.

With respect to YSL this projection and longevity monster is not for me.

Limited, Kouros still uses Civet in the form of Civetone, real Civet in fragrances was abandoned in the 90s. The original Kouros from 1981/82 did use real Civet. I still think Kouros is a pretty good fragrance, but I wish they would do a Kouros Extreme edition one day.

There are two kinds of fragrances in the world: Kouros and those who are not Kouros.

The original version contained Civet and Musk which made the fragrance very rich and fragrant..The current version has the synthetic copies making the fragrance composition seem artificial..I really like this fragrance but its so noticable which makes me feel awkward wearing it

This Kouros thread is proof that the power of suggestion can be a mighty force. Fact: Kouros is one of YSL's biggest sellers every year. As one reviewer stated below, only a trained nose will appreciate this fragrance. If you're not really sure, it may be best not to stray too far from the Nautica display case at Macy's.

I have been wearing this cologne since it's debut in 1981 and have not stopped wearing it sinc. I love the way it smells on me and it lasts a very long time. I get a lot of compliments every time I wear it, which is usually in the winter time. This cologne is truly a classic by YSL.

Very animalic, smell like urine if you smell it closely.
dry down is excellent After 2 or 3 hrs, smells delicious on me
Longevity 10/10
Projection 10/10
Smell 9/10, is as pheromones for women
Total: 9.6

If you want to have a big 80s powerhouse fragrance on your bedside table, look no further, because you found what you're looking for. Having said that, also make room behind the antidepressiv medication in the bathroom because eventually Kouros will find it's way there.
Having done my homework on this fragrance i went to a local mall and tried it on. To my surprise, i double-checked it at another mall. Setting myself up for an adventurous sniff of the 80s glamour and style I just got disappointed. I can see who is wearing this now... All those men, stuck in their ways in the bathroom stall getting to know an acquaintance at a neon bar.
Hooray for private parties in public toilets!

Based on the reviews here, this cologne fascinated me. So I decided to go to a department store to finally give myself a spray. The opening notes surprised me, it didn’t seem as pungent as I thought or have read. I actually thought it smelt amazing.

As I was walking back to my car I started to notice the other side of this cologne. It wasn’t disgusting, or like “cat piss”, it was just obnoxious, dated and not my idea of the modern masculine man. Then it reminded me of some men I know who have a dated sense of style locked in naïve arrogance, and I started to long for a shower to wash this stuff off.

But while I thought of that, I was still aware of its classic status and divisive nature. This made me appreciate what it was – and then, because I am such a lover of perfumes & colognes, could not be so harsh.

It would never suit me, and would never suit most people I know – even mature men. I did remember seeing Furio in the Sopranos having this on his dressing table in one episode, seemed like a perfect match!

A masterpiece to the trained nose! Enough said!

I was fortunate to find an unused 50ml bottle of the vintage formula on Ebay, so this review is for that original; I cringe to think what IFRA has done...

For sure, Kouros is one of the greats from the powerhouse era (I had friends who wore this in the 80's), and absolutely in opposition to the lighter, nearly-unisex masc frags of recent times. It has one of the most-distinctive, heavy, animalic and sexy bases- ever... which young folks today are simply not used to experiencing. I think of all the frags from this era, this would be one of the most-shocking. The citrus/herbal top is complex, and the mossy-floral heart even moreso: one could literally spend all day picking out notes as you glide down to the drydown... and at the end of the day, you are left with pure dripping lust.

pure fetishistic phantasms of all persons you have had sex since you've lost your virginity. perineum mixed with perspiration and the smell of raw, animalic, true, prosaic post coitum intercourse. a gentleman does not sweat. a gentleman perspires

just love it

A whole day after trying this on my wrist, and still have the feeling that my cat peed on me:( Very animalic scent, almost primitive male ferormones that scream their purpose. It is a perfume that sure does give a message. You either love or hate it, unfortunately my nose said the second

To me this smells like industrial floor wax visited by a tom cat. It is uniquely odd and maybe even interesting for the occasional olfactory adventure. It is not the musk or civet that is unpleasant to me (Serge Lutens Muscs Koublai Khan has at least as much and it is wonderful); it is a massive overdose of short chain alkane aldehydes, which produces that nose-numbing floor wax smell that dominates for the first several hours. I would never wear this in a crowded public place.

This scent polarizes. You absolutely love it or hate it.
There is no in between.

My initial take was, smelt like urinal, moved down to an in your face soap, like someone tried to clean out the urinal. Yes and I agree takes genius to achieve this combo.

The base notes, after about 3 to 4 hours, half way between cat on heat and a musky animal. Around this time it's not too bad, but you have to go through murder to get here.

So this is one you don't not forget.

Update :
When I first tried K. I absolutely hated it. Now after 14 hours, having slept on it, its still around (a feat in itself) , I'm not so sure. And now smells good ! Go figure. What a journey, exhausting. So I can't say I hate this anymore. Would caution to use it sparingly.

Anyone who hates this fragrance, hates sexuality, because this fragrance is pure sexuality. Its refreshing and animalic at the same time and so sexy and romantic. It is not something I would wear daily, but Kouros puts all the YSL fragrances to shame, it is a true masterpiece and lasted well over 30 years.

Having already left a review on this spellbinding juice I here go again as to emphasize the quality of the original product. I have half a bottle, 50 ml, since 1982 of the original mix after shave tonique. It is half because it lasts forever, or at least it lasts a lifetime. You just need a fingertip on your neck and the spell is on for more than a day. Kouros was sadly reformulated in 2002, switching coriander for mint. I have not needed to buy another bottle of this new formulation in order to try the quality. However I doubt it comes near to the original. A derivative, Kouros d´été 2006, is not even far. It is on another planet. I do like the notes of that mix but you can detect the many chemicals in the liquid. This makes you reluctant to use it on your skin, even more so after having read the ingredient list. It disturbs your relation and the confidence in the reformulated Kouros line although the reformulated Kouros edt is still within the acceptable toxicity range.
The original Kouros was very much a deep mystical experience of the natural wild. Almost transcendant. And it does not carry any chemical unwanted notes whatsoever.
So pick up the old juice on ebay before it disappears into oblivion.

Please! Can the divine order please stop trapping me in bank elevator towers - with old men who soak their pinstripe suits in this stuff? Yuck!!! Same sillage as Brut by Faberge... which as kids we used to call "Brutal". My advice is to stay away... if you get it as a gift, sell it on ebay for $55-65!

Lobby at the fancy hotel. Elevator bell rings. Handsome dark haired tall guy in a black suit steps out.

On the other side of the room, near to an exit door, a beautifull, classy looking woman sits on a sofa checking emails from her cellphone.

Suddently she gets a whif on something. She stands up. What is this and where it is coming from. She looks over her left shoulder and see this insanely handsome man.

They both stare each other and just when the man is passing her by and reaching the door, she crabs his hand and look up to him and say. Lets go.


This is Kouros...

I'm here because I tried a perfume recently and it had a strong element to it that I hated - looking at the notes, I wondered if it was vetiver.
It made me think of Kouros. Looking here, that does have vetiver too so maybe it's that as I find Kouros absolutely repulsive!
A long-ago boyfriend's brother had it and tbh, I'd run a mile from any man wearing it!
I don't find it a 'dirty' or 'animalic' smell in any way, I simply find it pungently horrible and just don't get the appeal!

Review of Darrshan

Not a fan of kouros but I get lots of compliments whenever I wear is perfume , so I continue to wear

MARAVILLOSA (WONDERFUL)
SUPER MASCULINA (TOP MASCULINE)
IN A WORLD FULL OF SWEET AND FRESH FRAGRANCES, KOUROS WINS FOR BEING DIFFERENT. KOUROS IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FRAGRANCES!!!

The most long lasting and highest silage perfume i had ever come across...

Picked this one on hype at a Dubai duty free(had picked along with Angel Men)- both were a suggestion from a friend that this one had great longitivity and silage + ppl love it

Compared to Angel Men this one lasts nearly twice as much and has a massive silage. Its got a odd pungent flower bazar type of odor mixed with the something bizzare (my colsest guess would be animal phermones)

But I hate it... its got an overwillming pungent oder that will made me scream- someone should suggest the CIA's & FBI's to try a varient of this. It's so annoying that I would prefer a mosqoutio repellant to Kourus...

Thought of sparying it for once to re-confirm the smell before writing this review. Quite frankly the thought of doing that made me feel disgusted tht i didn't do it.

BTW there was a time; I used to repel my neighbour (good friend)- by threatening to spray on him... he used to call it worse this to be worse than an animal repellant

bought it the other day and unfortunately i couldn't return it fast enough. not...quite...how i remember it. TOTALLY picked up on that urinal cake vibe. was it always like that? the hell was i thinking in my early twenties? LOL

Urine, nuff said. Definitely a no go for me. Maybe I'm simply too young, but I just don't understand the popularity of this juice.

This is one of my favorites. It is very bossy and powerful. For those who dislike the scent, it is a "I'm about to bash you in the face with fragrance." type of scent. I suppose you have to be or appear to be bold and large--physically or economically--to wear this scent.

@ LanceDior,

"goddesses will worship you as their alpha." Yeah, right, punkass.
Don't make me hit you with a rolled-up newspaper.

Love...love...love.....Kouros
Only real men can wear it!

Dirty Seduction. One must have confidence to wear this one. Kouros is very animalic and dirty. It blend well with sweat, because sweat acts as a diluting agent, creating a personalized blend of body odor and perfume.

I consider this as one of the boldest fragrances I own. This fragrance will definitely change your mood, it is like wearing a character, and you are the the mean, handsome 40+ playboy.

Aaaaaahhhh... Sweet kouros we meet again. This is a cologne not for simple earthly men; this is the cologne of gods and men with true substance. This is the cologne that will not catch ladies at bars for you, but it will draw the attention of goddesses who will worship you as their alpha. This is not for the faint hearted: wearing this will tempt fate and will stand out as the smell of a true man in a world where 40 year old men wear joop and acqua di gio and le male. Dare to be bold with this, the ultimate power frag.

In the age of 1Million, Le MAle, Black XS L'Exces, it is dated, but its lovely. This is like a wild stallion sort of a scent. If you are manly man, you know, the stubble, rugged type, this will be your clean scent. I genuinely feel this is a winner for me from the house of YSl despite the shit reviews people have given it.

Go out try it, most won't like it, but the ones who do, buy it. I have gotten a few compliments, I was told that I smell of sex. :P

The drawback of this scent is that it is not versatile. I'd say a cool summer night or winter nights. If you going to have someone very intimate, I totally advise against it but let this dry for 6-7 hours and this stuff will make her weak in the knees.

Less is more with Kouros as it is a powerhouse IMO. Please don't hate this baby, it is very unique since many people hate it.

KOUROS 4EVER.

Do you want your perfume to stays long and can be smelled by anyone that you met that day? a perfume that would make you feel invincible? this is what you want. if you're strong enough to hold its persona

Yes, Kouros have its own lively persona. animalic, strong and full of character. You don't wear Kouros, since Kouros will wear you. It will drive your emotion, giving certain sense of masculinity into the limit previously unknown. not a scent that you would love, nothing sweet or spicy here. pure animalic civet and slight leathery honey to make you feel like Tarzan in the modern world

there's a sense of animalic masculinity in every men. we need certain things to trigger its up. some men goes to the gym to build up their muscles, some work in military and some wear Kouros. the scent is too masculine, its so strong that drive yourself wild. you can feel the heat that caused by this beast, a heat that almost as strong as instinct of animal. a sense of power and confidence together with courage to show yours into other men

this fragrance isnt build for those who want to impress girls or other people (the drydown smelt like armpit, really) this magnificent perfume drives your instinct and emotion wild to break the limits

Sadly, this stuff is somewhat dated because the market is saturated with crappy, wimpy scents, where Kouros, Antaeus, and Third Man are no longer mainstream. Kouros is as manly as manly can get and lasts forever. To me, this is what a gentleman should smell like. Long live the timeless classics of the 1980s. Trust me, your day will come again. I have never been mainstream and will continue to wear these titans of colognes.

There is civet in this for sure but its blends in so well with the rest of the notes that it dose not bother me at all. Its actually a sharp fresh fragrance not citrus but herbal, it has a 80s feelto for sure but the sweetenes keeps me from ruling it out as unwearbel and outdated. Id say it would suit a older gent best but youcan wear this for sure with a nice suit. I had smelled this a long time ago and thought that it was way pass what I usually like but now I can appreciate it as a fine fragrance for anyone who likes them.

nice to see people in 2012 discovering and loving this masterpiece!!!

You have to be SUPER CLEAN to wear this DIRTY SCENT.

Otherwise, Kouros will easily "own" you body, instead of you wearing the fragrance.

It's a masterpiece for those who can appreciate it, or in better words, "who knows how to wear it."

Afterall, No. 5 by Pollock is not for everybody, anyway. Don't get me wrong, cos it's just an analogy.

But you gotta give credit to Kouros. We obviously need something dirty among all the sugar and caffeine in the perfumery world. If you're sick of them candies, Kouros is your cure to Diabetes.

Speaking of, they paint it all-white for a reason.

-Mr. Almond-

Very disgusting. Smell like construction worker armpit without deodorant or something like cow’s ass. Sorry totally not for me.

This is the only Fragrance that would make me move away from the Person wearing it!
Could never stand it.

Classic fragrance Love it! <3

Sorry to all you fans of this powerhouse, much respect to anyone who can pull this off, but, I can't do it. Feels like I took a urinal cake from a men's toilet and rubbed it on a sweaty man and then proceeded to rub it on me. All developments of this fragrance were the worst I've ever smelled.

I mean directly below. Sorry

I posted directly above this one as guest. The dry down on this is what I love most of all. Even the opening notes do not last forever and are something that I can more then put up with. After several hours on me, I get a nice honey, musk, slightly floral, incense background going on that outlasts just about anyting in my entire collection. Everyone is different as far as how it reacts on your skin, but after just recently re discovering this, I am glad that it has the same qualities that I LOVED about it 25 yrs ago. If the box th full size came in is a light gray color and not the original blue color, it is no doubt one of the most recent reformulations. I have smelled that one, and will agree that it is not the same juice at all. Not even in the same ballpark. I just can't get enough of this, and love the way it smells on my clothes, and I frequently catch myself whiffing my wrists during the coarse of the day.

The bottle you got at target today, is most definitely a reformulation of Kouros. The only places you can find the original, or one of the BETTER reformulations before the masacred it, is places like ebay Even then you have to ask if it has the plastic or metal pieces on the bottom and also having the eau de toliet directly under Kouros is an older bottle. It could still be a reformulation, but as I said it is one of the better ones when this cologne still had "Nads". I have been wearing this to work the entire week so far, and nothing but positive compliments for me. Even those that are much younger then myself have been asking what it is, and where they can get it. It is definitely a haunting fragrance. Even if you dont like it 100% you have to admit there is definitely something interesting going on, as this smells like Nothing else you will ever own.

MVHOOPER...I think your full bottle is a reformulation... To my nose KOUROS is a bit urinous, ant that's what makes it so unique... and the flowers come after this hissy pissy note... LOVE IT

I used Kouros when I went on holiday to Ibiza in 1987. It's all that I can remember about the holiday. It overpowered everything as I, typically for a young man, splashed it on too liberally. It's a love it or hate it scent and most people I met hated it. Even I hated it. But it was a big seller then and I was seduced by the hype.
Kouros has a particular smell; masculine, soapy (carbolic or camphor or something similar). No sweetness or fruitiness. No trace of spice. There are obscure floral elements, but not enough to disguise the overwhelming suggestion of industrial cleaner. Yep! It smells of a gents toilet.
But I could not shrug it off. I developed fond memories of it. But I was not brave enough to buy another bottle. The smell lingered in my nasal passage 25 years on.
However, I did buy a bottle of Givenchy Pour Homme as a slight nod. The Givenchy shares the essence of Kouros but has way more subtlety and depth.
Oddly, somebody gave me a bottle of Kouros last year. It smelled exactly as I remembered. However, now I find myself attracted to it and if I am feeling nostalgic then I will dab some on; much to the annoyance to those around me. A naughty fragrance for a naughty boy.
Be warned, it is an attention seeker with not quite enough charm. But once smelled, never forgotten.

Oh, my, what a migraine/sinus/coughing inducer. It's not that it smells 'bad', it's just that it instantly gives me discomfort. To say the least. The tiniest spritz and the whole room is invaded by the scent. Which lingers foreverrrrrr! Really made me hold my breath.

I absolutely forbade my bf to ever wear it in my presence, I would vomit if I smelled it daily. Fortunately, he enjoys other perfumes that don't kill me (literally).

Too strong. Too chemical. Too synthetic. Too much.

I too love this, and have been wearing it off and on for a long time. When I finished my old bottle, I didn't replace it for a long time, until most recently. I had to stop and ask myself "Why did I stop wearing this in the first place"? as this was always one of my few "Go to" scents. Always drew compliments from this no matter where I was. Very recently ordered a few small splash bottles of this and will be very excited later today when they arrive as this is the "Original" juice before it had been reformulated. Personally with this scent, and only this scent, I like the splash a little more then the spray, as I can control it better, and use it very sparingly. Also I don't have to work today, so this will be a dry run on how to prepare myself and possibly other peoples noses that I work with, in the event I receive dirty looks in the office. Like most others have said, in moderation, this is one excellent scent. To me, I don't care how dated one might think this is. I can honestly say this is one that smells like no other, and takes on it's own unique personality. Everything out there today smells like something else that I already own. After all, how many different colors and fragrences etc can someone formulate and have it smell totally different? Wore this at 20 and loved it, and I am sure at 49 it's not going to be any different. I am also one who believes there is no age gap or group, or any set rules on what someone chooses to wear. If you like it, that is all that matters. For not owning this again until recently, this is one where the smell is never forgotten. Now I have to work on hoarding as many bottles of this juice as I possibly can. Great scent. Can't imagine living in a world without "Kouros" The great and powerful does not only apply to OZ anymore

Hollycat ... it seems you and I agree on several things, i.e. that a) Kouros stinks and is NOT sexy, and b) that sticking your tongue in a guy's ear is often a bad idea and is also NOT sexy!! Good advice girls (and guys, particularly those who are contemplating purchasing a bottle of the dreaded Kouros!).

As the reviewer below me stated so perfectly, this scent is not a chic magnet imo. I sprayed some on my hand at my local perfumery because I love musky perfumes and wanted so badly to see what all the fuss was about concerning the filthyness some folks speak of. Honestly the first thing that comes to my mind when smelling this perfume is dirty waxy ears. Basically ear wax. OK I admit it, Ive smelled every bodily secretion in my lifetime including ear wax. Its got this bitter undescribable scent that has to be experienced to understand. Yes I have shoved my tongue in a guys ear once. I wont be doing that again.

This thing smells like a cow's ass, i never liked it...never.

Haha. I used to wear this as a teenager in the 1980s. After smelling it again in 2012 I am brought back to some very nice memories. I believe Kouros was after the period of Old Spice and Tabac (yes really), but before Santos de Cartier (which is in a totally different league). Opinion was split back then, as it is now.

Kouros is unique. Nothing quite like it. But have they changed it a little? I believe so. Still Kouros is for the man who likes to be different, with an attitude. What attitude? I don't know! Not so complex though.

"What the hell do you smell like? Is it your socks or some wet fabric polluted by a cat? Are you ironic? I have no idea, but subconsciously I want you to touch me or spank that dude over there or whatever".

Kouros is 1980s, in the synth and fluffy hair kind of way. Guys had red leather jackets (suede), with shoulderpads. Love it or hate it, but you have to admit Kouros is kind of ... fascinating.

This fragrance is mentioned during the last film by Roman Polanski ,"Carnage ".

Refolmulated but remains one of the best male fragrances ever! Ps i don't understand why this excellent fragrance refolmulated...... really,i don't.

Kouros is THE holy grail of manliness and that's all there is to it. The fragrance fanatics that disrespect it are the same ones who have been spoiled on wimpy, fruity, aquatic, unisex fragrances over the past 20 years or so. I didn't need a learning curve with Kouros, for me it was love at first smell. I can't speak for the vintage juice (I have a reformulated vial that I've been using), but I'd venture to say that they are both pretty damn close by comparison.

First off, the civit scent has been WAY over hyped. For me it never plays a huge role, buried underneath the many layers of this dark incense and cinnamon bomb. Yes you get the civit, and this along with the bitter herbs give Kouros almost a "dirty linen" scent as one reviewer described, but it's not a filthy dirty. Odd thing is, the sweet battles the bitter in a beautiful way creating a violent tug of war that never ends until the powdery dry down arrives.

Kouros is confident and strong, almost arrogant in a way. The bottle designer hit the nail on the head with this one. It fully celebrates Kouros in all of its bombastic olfactory glory.

If I close my eyes and really take the time to smell this fragrance on my arm, I honestly think of a ritualistic Egyptian or Greek temple where blood sacrifices are being made (probably due to the bitter/sweet incense mixed with animal and woods). Something out of "Beast Master" or the temple scenes from "Conan the Barbarian" springs to mind.

On final note, I highly recommend Kouros to the elite group of alpha males who spit in the face of normalcy. It takes balls to wear this beast because Kouros walks the tight rope of elegant savagery. If standing out from the crowd is not for you, then it's best to stick with the Aqua Di Gio crowd, for when other men smell Kouros on you they'll automaticlly know their place behind you in the pack. 10 out of 10! An epic masterpiece of past, present and future!

The scent is basically Sex in a perfume.
Like all body fluids they may turn you on or not.
They could scare you away or exalt you.
Just like passion.
For me original Kouros after shave is passion.
And I am lost in it.
But as we all know, passion is not for the fainthearted.
The Edt is a bit too sweet however.
The After shave is undisturbed by sweet cuddling.

I am one of those guys who just hates it. I can see there is a market for it but to me it smells like those yellow cubes in the mens toilets. Kouros Body on the other hand is my favourite winter fragrance strangely.

Kouros is more of an experience than anything else. I think it really scratches at that primal instict innate in all of us.This juice is DISTURBINGLY GOOD!

I am one of those people who could be a drug-sniffing dog; I have an incredibly keen sense of smell, when it comes to detecting "things". This seems to have nothing to do with taste in perfumes, and I do not mean to imply that it does. I am AMAZED at the way so many different people perceive a scent as reminding them of, say, urine, sweat, rancid gym shorts and the like, since I can detect if my husband has thrown things into the washing machine and let them sit for a few hours, the moment I open the door to our home. I also am amazed that scents have evolved so that some are for men and some are for women since it did not start out like this. So I am a woman who wears as a first choice, Apres L'ondee, a scent which is almost invisible in its transparency, and also Kouros and Yatagan. Ain't nature wonderful?

I LOVE Kouros and my husband loves the way it wears and smells on me. my husband knows scent. years before we met he bought some Joy De Patou parfum in Paris for THE GIRL HE WAS GOING TO MARRY and gave it to me, many years ago. I know Kouros like Yatagan got some awful reviews, some of them by famous noses, but I do love it and am shopping for some since I ran out. The worst thing possible in perfume.

This is a very strong and controversial scent. This is very old school, dated in the early 1980's, alien to what people are wearing now.

I liked the opening, but the drydown was less impressive. In the end, I think this is a good scent, but it's not for me.

This is a smoky floral scent, redolent of a beautiful volcanic island. Some people who criticize this will liken it to urine, feces, sweat and a urinal cake. Sometimes, I do draw these associations, to be honest, however, most of the time I don't.

While I appreciate it as a work of art, I (for the consideration of the people I am with) don't see it fit for any public occasion.

This is for the serious collectors to try, but for the average person looking for an agreeable compliment-getter, this is not for you.

when it first came out , i had heard about it , there was a guy i worked with who was wearing it to a company xmas party, i remember i was wearing my standard paco robanne ...i noticed his colonge and he had doused himself pretty good with it, so it was a very strong presence ...as i was standing there with my wife and after he walked away to mingle with others i asked, so what do you think of the fragrance? and she said, he smells like he has been sweating alot and just peed his pants.. i will never forget it and that was her intial impression, i was undecided if i liked it or not, i found it interesting and i think guys like their own musky type of smells....amazingly that is what i got ..so i did purchase some probably a year or so later....but i never really used it very much, maybe women would like that on some guys but i would bet the man who wears it better be desireable to begin with if not my thought would be repulsed..but i may be too cruel on that,.it is unique though and it is worth a sniff...maybe i needed to give it more time..sometimes i liked it sometimes i just wasn't in the right mood for..i do think it would take some time though..

Creamy, musky cement. Fantastic and hard to ignore.

This is a nice enough fragrance although it possibly is a little bit too mature for a guy in his mid 20's I like proper men's fragrances but this is just a little bit too far into the man in his 40's side of the court. I like the smell just not on me. I do not understand the condemnation this recieves from reviewers saying it smels of semen, urinal cakes and sweat etc. I smelt none of those things and I have a picky nose that notices those things if they are quite apparent i.e. A friend of mine recently tried Thierry Mugler Amen and I was positive I could smell a boiled eggy smell from that so I guess it is dependant on each nose. Upon looking through various sites and blogs and seeing reviews about Kouros I can assume that this is only the American's that can smell all of the above in Kouros, their urinals must smell pretty unusual over there as our urinal cakes smell of crisp lemon citrus or pine etc. Nothing in resemblance to Kouros. C'mon this fragrance has been going strong since 81.... 6 years before I was born so quite clearly it cannot be that bad if it is still in production and still YSL's biggest selling fragrance!

Very masculine fragrance! My wife loves it! My sister-in-law also liked it. Its very strong and long lasting. Sexy Classic!

This scent IS the 80es! Every guy I met wore it with pride and I loved it - and still do, as a matter of fact. Today, I prefere other male perfumes but whenever I notice the scent in the air I instantly wear huge plastic earrings, assymetric sweaters and my hear grows into a giant, curly mass, smelling of several hair products... Oh, walking down memory lane, holding hands with Nik Kershaw ;O)

Yves Saint Laurent Kouros EDT

I don't get people who says that this perfume smells like urinal and piss. Where have your nose been all this time? This stuff is amazing, simply outstanding. It's all man, godly and pure from the initial notes till the heart notes. Potent, masculine, naughty and even elegant; all engraved in that beautiful bottle. A real classic, and a GREAT scent, not like nowadays with water scents and 80 % alcohol.

You want to feel empowered, elegant and without any fear? Grab it while you still can!

My husband's fav but he rarely wears scent so his bottle is from the 80's or 90's. Maybe that's why I hate it so much, all I get is sharp, sour citus and some spice. I might test a fresh sample and see if there is a difference.

edit: uh oh, it's the aldehydes, no hope for me I'm afraid.

Dark Chocolate/Leather/Incense Masterpiece!

This is so well blended, it's ridiculous. I am in love with Kouros. I get Leather, Civet, Honey, Cinnamon effortlessly dancing as a beautiful incense accord switching partners every so often creating brand new aromatic symbiosis. Thank god my skin enjoys this as much as I do!

As far as I'm concerned, this is the one and only Aromatic Leather fragrance every created. Leather, brand new leather. The opening is the epitome of clean!

I'm proud to say I'm now a proud member of the elite group who possess the stones to rock this fragrance.

I was totally prepared to hate this one. I was totally prepared to smell like I fell into a urinal at the county fair. What I received, however, is something pretty amazing. I love this scent. It is so different from my other colognes. A few sprays and I am enveloped in an aura of happier times. Don't overdose, though, or it will definitely be cloying. 3-4 sprays is more than adequate and a sweet, musky, floral bouquet will follow you for most of the day.

10/10

Read the previous comments and see just how divisive this is, so I won't contribute anything else for the 100th time.

If you are ultra masculine, or are married to someone who likes that sort of thing this could work for you, but it is so strong that for us with mere mortal noses find it a bit offputting.

Personally, I don't like this one at all, far too harsh and strong, but at least give it a try, it is obviously the love of many

I do like this perfume very much, and always have, find it extremely pleasant, one of the best, if not the best male scent. But sometimes I find it hard to stand it when I wear it, it sort of chokes and depresses me, and I do not know why because I do like and am used to very strong perfumes and much stronger than Kouros.I do like the animalic mixture of civet and leather and the sweetness of honey. I think what depresses me is the toilet smell or, more nicely put, and not nearly as depressing, men dirty underwear. I find the opening and heart stage much more interesting than the drydown, which for me is when it loses its character. Anyway, I think it is a very good perfume, and must be appreciated by lots of people, because apparently it keeps being produced and selling. Silage is great. I do not find it very similar to Lapidus, which is less sweet, more floral, and much stronger. I do find it closer to the original Salvador Dali pour homme, mostly the drydown, which is very very similar, but the opening and heart stages are less similar. Overall Kouros is one of the few male perfumes I really like.

The problems with Kouros is that loving it is mostly an acquired taste IMHO, therefore if we haven´t accomplished that acquired taste it´s meaningless to review it.

It reminds me of my childhood. My grandfather had a cologne that smelled similar to this one. He used to take me downtown to see the city, to watch the people and go to the mall while we listened to Bee Gees and music from the 70's. I'm 19 now and we don't do that anymore. This fragrance reminds me of those times that I love and will always remember.
This one's a nice fragrance, smells good to me. Maybe because it reminds me of my childhood but I know that plenty of people hate it. Well, it's because it's very animalic and strong. I think I'd never wear it because I'm too young. This'd go perfect for a man older than 50. I know this one might scare the ladies if you wear it on a date and you're a guy under 30.
I like it but can be a little bit annoying. It's definitely a hate or love fragrance.

Dirty Bad boy scent. I spray this on when I am Hunting with the pack, it sets me apart from the rest. Alpha male scent that women can't resist and men know their lower position in the pack when near you.


10/10

I would say this is a very beautiful scent. To me it has kind of a strong incense smell. I recommend this to men in their 40's and up. Also smokers can do well with this fragrance.

Projection and longevity are great. I get 24+ hours with this.

Kouros is SEX in a bottle. Beautiful. Very Masculine.

In the 80s, Pierre Bourdon created Angel & Demon. First he created demonic scent called KOUROS for YSL then 7 years later he created the angelic scent called Cool water for Davidoff.


I confess, I'm an Angel and I wanna be a human, - that's why my nose need a lot of demonic scent KOUROS, so my angelic & demonic soul get balance and I can be a real Human.

As a human I'm quite happy because KOUROS hasn't been reformulated so much. I only knew that KOUROS was reformulated once in 2002 with wild mint replacing the coriander but still with the rosemary, the leather notes and the cloves, oak and the oak moss. The bottle designed by Alain de Morgues has never been changed since the 80s - still in a white minimalistic shape.


I'm happy with the Demonic scent... so never ever discontinued KOUROS!

Kouros is utterly incredible and definitely in the top 5 men's fragrances of all time. Indescribably perfect, it can only be pulled off by an equally perfect man.

A love or hate one this! I love it. Strong, lasts a long time, a unique smell - at its best when you smell a "waft" of this on the air rather than a direct smell on the skin. In my opinion it's a woody oriental but it's great stuff - watch out you don't overdo it! Smells fantastic on your clothes after 24 hours! One of the most masculine fragrances in the world is the one and only KOUROS.

A work of genius!

Deliciously dirty yet crisp and clean at the same time.

May I never be without it...

Despite advice to the contrary, I was so intrigued by Kouros that I blind bought it when I stumbled on a good price. At first, I lay in between the love and hate camp. The fragrance was definitely weird and unlike anything I had seen before. I thought the scent was interesting, but definitely not a love.

It was not a hate either. In fact, I was anticipating cat pee and all sorts of other nastiness. I didn't get any of that. It just smelled soapy more than anything else.

These intriguing experiences are, I find, one of the best parts of enjoying fragrances. Some fragrances do not reveal all their mysteries on the first wearing. They require patience to get to know them, to get to judge their quirks and eccentricities. Kouros was definitely like that.

The more I got to know the fragrance, the more I liked it. I would look forward to putting the scent on and trying to discover some more secrets, more about the amazing evolution of the accords.

After several months, I am now in the love camp. This is a fragrance that requires commitment on the part of the user. Commitment to peek into the delicacy and subtlety of its evolutions. Commitment to put up with its unusual and sometimes odd opening. But as with any true love, this commitment pays off. The scent is timeless: it's barber shop and avant garde; it's powerful and subtle.

Great scent. Well worth gettiing to know...and love.

Even if it is appreciated somewhere in the world, it doesn't seem to be like this in Estonia. Women seem to dislike or even hate it - one shop assistant here said it is too heavy, one of my best friends hates it, another shop assistant said it's terrible, another friend thinks it's disgusting.

I would already offend at least 2 of my good female friends, which is a really bad sign! Even my good male friend who mostly finds fragrances good smelling thinks it's only 4 out of 10 for him, and the least pleasant fragrance as well.

One day I put 4 sprays on my clothes to test it and see how people react - my mother said fragrances I own are better, and it seemed it stays forever on my jacket :S Scent stayed there for more than a week, and got really disturbing, though I even kinda liked it on the day when I put it on.

For now I find Kouros to be one of the most offensive, disturbing and bad scents. It reminds me of urinal cakes and pretty bad soaps. Soapy, too heavy, sharp, overpowering, disturbing! AVOID !!!

Kouros - You either love it or hate it!

A thirty year old powerful, “in your face”, “pick me, pick me, I want to be smelled” scent.

This may be subjective , but this is a very “eighties” trademark smell. A “been there, done that” cologne which I will not purchase again.

I cannot detect any fine, distinct notes. Instead it is an explosion of sweet, musky, civet that stays trapped under my nose, all over my body, in my clothes, in my car, in my cupboard and on my cat for too many hours.

If you are presented with a bottle (which, to me is the only attractive thing about this cologne) then use it sparingly, with a capital S. Everyone around you will smell it. It is by no means unpleasant to all as its 30 year life span seems to have stood the test of time. Back then I did get a few positive remarks but only when I used one or two tiny squirts.

The only positives are; It has survived the fragrance test of time, the sillage and longevity are excellent, and it ooses power. Ironically, something I am looking for in an EDT. However this is not the power house for me.

I give this lemon, musky nuclear bomb a subjective 2.2/5.

Excellent romantic classic perfume

Stately

Last for a long period on clothing

My father likes it repeat purchase

I would recommend him

A truly polarizing scent. I have had Kouros (Vintage) in a 50ml Spray bottle for a while (I got a bottle from a fantastic seller that was still in original shrink-wrap) and opened it recently and know after trying it in the 90's to apply light - just one nice spray on the wrists, rubbed together (cold weather). Warm weather - it is one to the chest and let it resonate. The bottle is definitely vintage and there is a noticeable difference to me between old and new formulations. The barbershop vibe with the aldehydes, citrus, white florals, smooth honey, great spices, musk and pronounced civet with smooth amber, rich oakmoss, and rich leather with beautiful incense in the base is very different from the powdery talc infused with some of the original notes in the current. Everything is dialed down.

I stored this away as my preference is to wear this in cool mornings/warm afternoons optimally (Spring & Fall). As a rather natural-smelling animalic, musk-driven smell - I find that initial application is rather loud (so it can cut through the cool spring/fall morning air), but warm up on the body during the afternoon. By evening, it is present, but a nice light smell. Attire is important too - while a lot of people here focus on the barbershop aspect, I see it as a gentlemen's cologne. The connection to a urine cake could be there to some, but only if overapplied and someone's skin is not clean. A proper application of a 1-2 light sprays while wearing a pressed white button shirt with a pair of nice wool trousers is apropos. Clean-shaven, not necessary, but definitely preferred. A neutral after-shave balm would be important here with a light spray to the neck (perhaps even back of neck, so it is not overpowering) and one to the wrists or body underneath.

Not for everyone - I think we all realize that, but a scent that transcends time. YSL created something that is not for today's generation, because it is 30+ years old. A simple reference - are you as old as the fragrance (born in 1981 or earlier)? If you are, then this may have a place in your wardrobe. Younger generation fragrance lovers can appreciate this, but know that you are buying something that will not blend in the wash of aquatics and unisex, watered-down/mass-marketed stuff.

I love some reviews here - including ones that are against this (Crestfallen shows why this is NOT for everyone, including younger generation and the negative bathroom association) while LSDnSideBurns just made me realize "how" this scent can be so blown out of proportion. Great review, man! Love the humor and the notes are all there.

Personally, I "Like" Kouros and respect it. However, I have to be in the mood to wear it. It is a benchmark scent. YSL created something that is remarkably good (in the original formulation) and for those who can appreciate it. I love vintage fragrances and this is one that I seldom reach for as I typically don't wear formal attire. That said, I respect it for what it is. It is Kouros. Love it or hate it for most, while I like it - a lot.

For when I want to present myself as dapper, but with a sense of raw masculinity brooding inside...cheerio. ;-)

**Update** - I wanted to finish this review late into the dry down phase for me (again, just one shot rubbed together on the wrists in cool weather) approximately 5 hours from spray. This really came together nicely and is now a slightly musky, warm skin scent - smooth from the leather, amber and a nice touch of moss in the finish. Little projection, but the nice clean laundry smell is there...civet has long faded along with the citrus, florals and honey. A smooth wearing that exemplifies Kouros.

So, a question persists - "Is this perhaps the most over-analyzed fragrance that exists in the history of male fragrance?" Never a bathroom vibe for me or urinal. Civet is one of the most misunderstood notes that people run from (due to lack of knowledge). The scent is similar to musk, but has a more smoky, sweaty aroma. It is an excellent fixative, and used in many top-quality perfumes for decades...

Guys, let me give you a woman's advice if you want to attract one.
If you're going to wear Kopuros, please, go easy!!
My ex use to wear this, but that wasn't the reason for the break up, don't worry. lol
Indeed, he wore it when we met, but he wore it lightly.

This was his all time favorite. It doesn't smell too bad if you use it lightly...lightly is the key word here, guys.
One year he recieved a big bottle of it. Wore it constantly in heavy doses after that.
The scent was in the laundry, on the family dog, the kids.....ME!! I could even TASTE it in my food.

I had spoke to him about it. He stopped using it for a week.But the house was infused with it already....it was , alas, too late.

I must say, "animalic" is the best way to put the scent that comes forth in this. I got so annoyed with not being able to smell anything but Kouros that I 'accidentally' dropped the bottle in the toilet.:)

So I do not really like this fragrance from my own personal experience.

They share maybe a few notes (like many frags do btw)
but thats like comparing the colors green and purple as equals
They both have an ammount of blue inside but the final mixture goes another direction
mode on
Yellow and blue makes green
red and blue makes purple ( hah! Im sorry if i offended some ones intelligence here)
Ahum mode off*

And your right about the pissy fecal stuff its not as prominent as in other niche brand perfumes

well MrMookie Kouros & Lapidus both has Aldehydic Honey in their dry downs. But they get there in a different way.
YSL Kouros, makes everything Better! It is the A1 Steak Sauce of men's frags.
i layer the tinyest dab on top of anything, and it brings it to glowing life.

My most recently reviewed Brent Leonesio's #8, makes Kouros seem quite clean by comparison. They blend so well. So let's quit with calling Kouros fecal and pissy. It's mostly Aldehydic Clove, incense, and Honey & Civet grease.
Also blending suggestions: Dana Tabu, English Leather, Azzaro Homme, Chanel Antaeus. It has this way of Hyper Masculinizing everything. That sweet rich rich, "special something" in the dry down that perks my mood... Always.

Who ever voted that this smells like Lapidus pour homme is terribly wrong! they are not even alike! they are both powerhouse frags in the same time frame but thats the only thing they share alike..
I hope nobody will buy it because of this...

OK now about the juice, I can be short and brief because many people before me here told great stuff about this potion.
I think Kouros is Unique,fresh,deep and mysterious oh did i say unique?? but i realllly loved the vintage before reformulation Kouros.
The new one is toned down but still is a great scent.
STATEMENT FRAG AND GETS YOU NOTICED IN CROWDS
--all time classic,period--

Monster Projection with Monster Longevity & its a master of all perfumes, What a Fragrance. This smells great. Wow really superb. Just 2 sprays starts the magic. The smell travels miles. If u wear it & walk in a crowded place, People will turn their heads to see where the smell comes from. You will be noticed in the crowed & u will get lots of compliments. Best for day time. But some feels this is for men around 40"s. But never mind, it really rocks. CAUTION: Dont Over Apply. Just 2 sprays will do wonders. I have never seen any other perfume this much Projection. I LOVE IT. TRY IT, One must own it in their collection. LONGEVITY: 10, PROJECTION: 10, I Give 10/10. What a perfume aha!

This libidinous masterpiece is worn by one of the security guards at my workplace. I love it when he is rostered on.

My imagination runs riot when I get a whiff of "Barry", seedy elevator music starts to play in my head, Barry strips down to his gun... you can guess the rest.

Guttural moaning guaranteed. Wouldn't it be fun if Kouros came with a warning label?!

My final bottle of vintage Kouros arrived today. Its a 1.6 oz splash. The price was worth it. The splash is the best way to control its power. The aldehydes are hushed. Just a drop is all it takes. This box came from the 1980s with the silver foil. The bottle reminds me of solid marble. It feels so clean and powerful in my hands. It is still radiant and warm. Now the magic begins...

I am forever 20, young and in style. Its 1984 every sniff I take! "When Doves Cry" was new on the radio, Ghostbusters in theaters, my hair was ratted high with mousse, long trenchcoats and elf boots were in style. I was a freshman in college. The world seemed so easy to conquer. Kouros was carefully tucked in my bookbag and worn liberally. I was the only man on campus to sport this fragrance. It helped boost my self esteem as everyone focused attention on me as I entered a classroom.

YSL had created "me" with this classic bottle of luxury. Sure, others would follow-Paco Rabanne PH, Drakkar Noir, Lagerfeld and even CK Calvin. Yes, the perfume revolution began with Kouros. I found that I could control crowds without saying a word! Yes, it was like a chapter from "Perfume" by Suskind! That was the power of the "powerhouse". Ladies had Poison, Opium and Knowing to use.

I never paid attention to the notes. It was this "magical potion" that just worked, honestly! Kouros had this subjugating effect on those around me. It made me feel sexy and magnetizing. I remained single, celibate and the center of attention throughout the 80s. The 90s is another story... Kouros put the "come hither" on anyone I desired. It would accompany me for the rest of my life, through today. Pure Alpha Male...

Now, this 3rd and final bottle of my lifetime is in my hands. I hope to have it used up before I die, because it is too good to take to the grave! Its unfortunate that future generations will not get to feel its power. Yes, I am happy the "despot formula" is on the shelves. I will never own a bottle.

For those of you that developed an aversion to Kouros, you have my sympathy. May you never forget however, that once upon a time the was a mighty fashion house called YSL that made a holy water named Kouros that granted men the power of gods
!!!

This is it? THIS is Kouros? Judging by all of the ruckus on here I thought my neighbours across the street would be able to smell me every time I sprayed this. I was expecting to smell like I just dunked my head into a tank of raw sewage. What's all the hype about?

Starts off strong, green, and a bit floral. A stunning green-ness, actually, I detect the geranium right away, a bit of florals and a slight citrus edge. As it progresses the florals fade and the civet/musk animality comes through, though never overbearing. I suspect reformulations may have dialed back the civet a bit. Dries down to a pleasant green soapiness, with a bit of powder, musk, and slight sweetness. Reminds me of some varieties of underarm deodorant; in this regard it is not at all unpleasant. No old ladies fainted, no monocles popped out in exasperation, no children crying. Just a clean, soapy musk.

Longevity is superb, projection and silage are both good. Would I use it instead of showering? Not a chance. Would I slather on 15 sprays of this stuff? Absolutely not - 3 sprays is all I need. Will it get me through the day at work? Easily. Stinky? Give me a break.

The traditional can be modern.
The modern can safeguard the values of what is traditional.
The world is made of evolution. The ability to innovate and create something new is what distinguishes the human being.
Really appreciate everything that has historical value, but, above all, I am completely focused on innovation, irreverence and difference.
This analysis applies to all inventions that are limited to a certain historical period.
KOUROS is different. Why? Because Kouros is timeless
I've had many perfumes, various styles and very different year.
In fact, Kouros perfume is the oldest I've ever had, but I can guarantee that what transpires is a more modern and innovative.
In today's society there is a huge obsession for being different. I myself like to have their own style. The idea is not to annoy the others, focusing only on the concept that the difference is that the superiority lies ... whatever that may mean.
Kouros has a charm that no other perfume has. Everyone loves Kouros. Just smelling a perfume Kouros, is very different from using Kouros day-to-day.
It is without doubt the best scent of all time.
It is a timeless icon, and above all there in the world of perfumery.
It is impossible to describe the sensation that is to use Kouros.
In fact it is a perfume that makes us feel as real living gods.
It is fresh and vigorous simultaneously. It's nice and intrusive at the same time. It is attractive and repulsive the same time. It's mythic. It's unique.
The longevity and the projection is surreal.
For those who like to innovate, I strongly advise the Kouros ... even they do not like to smell the fragrance, buy it and use it in day to day and then they feel what I want to express.
Above all, the scent is more attractive to most women. It's guaranteed success.
For me, Kouros is not a perfume. It's a brand image.
Kouros has no time or age. He will live forever.
Kouros is Perfection.
Now I've found perfection, I can guarantee that Kouros is and will always be my favorite perfume.
For me the world could end ... but can never finish the Kouros.
KOUROS 4EVER.

Wore this juice back in the 80's and loved it.Big, strong and sexy.Purchased a gift set back in sept. and I think it has been reformulated.That strong brace yourself first blast is not there anymore.On first spray it smells like kouros would have smelled after 4 hours of wear then after half hour or so it's just a skin scent.Guess someone tried to make it more modern and ruined it.Hope I can find a vintage bottle and make it last forever.R.I.P.Kouros.

I was expecting something that would bowl me over backwards like the dreaded Secretions Magnifique, but what I smelt was pure and utter bliss.

The reason I enjoy Kouros so much is probably because I adore animalic and musky fragrances. I also don't mind the odd touch of patchouli every now and then in all its earthy glory.

Kouros goes on strong and unforgiving. It's one of those fragrances that say, "here I am, deal with it!" The civet (in its obvious artificial form), stands out a mile alongside a bold, masculine leather accord. In some ways Kouros is not unlike Aramis.

As the scent settles the sillage continues in strength, yet the development makes way for some interesting changes. There's a touch of softness, mainly a floral and soapy kind, that appears towards the drydown. This balances out the composition considerably, causing those somewhat fecal accords to recede and eventually diminish.

I find Kouros quite sexy, but only in small doses. It reminds me of Le Labo's Oud 27, so I am a little surprised that oud isn't listed as a note here.

The longevity and sillage are superb, quite breath-taking actually. Kouros has a tendency to cling to the skin, so bad news for those that wish to scrub this off. I am pleased, as an avid perfume reviewer to have had the opportunity to sample this polarizing and classic fragrance.

@marcosdv YES they have changed the bottles of both KOUROS and BODY KOUROS. YSL has also confirmed a slight reformulation... Hope they haven't "killed" any of these fragrances as they shamelessly have done with rive gauche pour homme M7 etc... :)

did ysl change the bottle?

i just bought a kouros a little bit different of the normal one.
try enter "new bottle kouros" on youtube, theres a video called "Kouros eau de toilette new bottle.wmv" showing the bottle.

thank you

ok last week i showed my bottle to around 5 people and 4 out of them asked me to get one for them, i got these 4 diff people 4 kouros and they r loving it to death,

i fell tis kouros has.

good projection

good sillage

and very good longevity.

I hate it! And my boyufriend too!
It's a strong weird (not in the good way) smell...it smells like urine or something like that.
Masculine but definitely NOT sexy.
Not for young men.

Kouros is a fragrance to say the least wild, woody notes make it a hot and hazy lung of a church, a sort of bellows that feeds of breath and incense, where the woods are filled the benches of the psalms and incense, where dominates throughout the wood, sometimes dark and sometimes bright midway between myth and recent history, certain masterpieces are a heritage of humanity ... but never mind those poor critters of civet cats ... you can give up their involuntary contribution.

This has all the qualities my ideal man should have. SEXY-masculine-inviting-dirty-elegant-clean-strong-solid-confident-unique.A man with a clean body and a dirty mind.Oh how i love Kouros.The sexiest classic.

A very powerful scent which projects big and lasts a long time, yet has a dated scent..

I applied 2 heavy sprays...

0 - 5.5 hours - 2 Foot strong projection. 2 sprays is all you need so this is a very economic choice. It is a unique dated scent, which has a masculine "edginess" about it... it is as if it is stressed out and in turmoil- there is nothing laid back about this scent.

5.5 hours - 8 hours - 2 inch projection. Linear scent

8 hours - 12 hours - Very Long lasting on skin, 1 cm projection

I wore this in the 80's as a youth and it was a big hit with the girls at that time. My wife really liked it on me today, but I couldn't wear it, even for her...However, I bet there are still thousands out there who are still using this.

I love this one, lightly applied.
If applied too much, it smells cheap like a men bathroom.
If you want a similar one, a little less dirtier, just try Knowing by Estée Lauder.

I don't know where the rumour that this smells like urine started, but I can't agree. All right, I think the smell is similar to a restroom, but a just cleaned restroom, like if you are waiting visit. With soaps shaped like flowers at the sink.
I don't really think it is that masculine either. It definitely shares similarities with Lagerfeld Classic, Boss Number one, and other old classics with the spicy soap-vibe.
Kouros is spicy as well, but compared to Lagerfeld Classic is Kouros way more flowery. A white floral soap with spicy undertones.
It is actually pretty good!

now ok, this is not an easy goody goody citrus fragrance like others in market, this is a cult classic very masculine, and not an easy going scent, but has a great projection , sillage is good and lasting is awesome, its a little harsh in starting but after an hour a nice one, its still a huge hit in market.

A little sidenote; i had a shampoo and body lotion sample with my bottle for free and the body lotion is definatly the strongest i ever experienced, when you apply it in the early morning and you undress in the late evening your arms will still smell like Kouros, still very strong, still very pungent, still very Kouros.

First class quality.

This is sharp to the nose, this may cause nausea even if you are into strong musky fragrances......

The Civet brings the urine feeling to it, but also brings the pheromones. I do not like the vibe of this thing at all.... but its a classic that is a masterpiece no matter what i say...

Years and years in the market, we are all goin to die, but this thing will keep on selling.....


i bow my head to this stinky thing!

stinky but unique!!!

one of the best ever,timeless,unique scent.i really feel for those who can't enjoy this masterpiece because of body chemistry. not for the boys.great for fall/winter time.love it.
my rank 5/5.

the kouros is dead. the culprit: corporate profit and market research. for all of you screaming omg what is this, run for your lives upon smelling kouros; congratulations, you have won. kouros has been reformulated. no more civet(the infamous fecal like note), and since there is no civet, the rest of the notes have also been toned down to whisper. the strong incense smell that used to envelop you like a veil of esotery is completely gone. this is just a hollow and pale shadow of what kouros used to be.

Mature, virile, unabashedly Masculine. This is my signature Favorite.
Strongly Powdery Musky Aldehydic Honey. Earthy Patchouli Vetiver Sage adding a dirty almost rooty soil punch. Like the Ads & designs suggest, imagine a virile rockhard sweaty body of an Athlete.
It's oldskool. My Manager said he used to love wearing this back in the 80s.
Urinous? yes... i won't lie, it is. i'm familiar with feral scents.(i got samples of seasonal Buck urine, and they have a similar accord) Sweat? Yes.... That's the civet & Patchouli.
People either love it or hate it. I feel it depends on mood and individual taste and life experiences.
VERY powerful and long lasting. It's what i describe as "Punch you in the face" Strong. Do NOT overuse. I can smell it 24 hours later as this Addicting, strangely sweet "Honey" musk on my arm. A Rare kind of... magnetism, I can only say, Erotic. OH this is one... DIRTY animal, and ahhhh love eeeet! It mixes SO perfectly with my own body scents. Just a couple of light dabs, Lasts ALL day....
Yves Saint Laurent's masterpiece. Truly "Passion in a Bottle".
Test before you buy.

** If you Dont like Kouros, i suggest "Kouros Sport". it's JUST the same scent, only sweeter, nicer and more agreeable to the common pallete.

Fecal?I dunno, i don't think it is anyway.

I do understand when people say it smells like those urinal dots they use in urinoirs, it really has a sharp pungent smell at first, after a while it changes to a very musky scent with that same "fresh" undertone, the best way to describe the scent is that it's just plain weird, it is, it's a really weird quirky scent.

Many people seem to have a really definite opinion about it, they love it or they hate it and i think it's just normal with this one.

This is one of the most eccentric scents i ever smelled and lot's of people just don't get it, so if you are afraid of public opinion definatly do not buy this one, i personally don't mind to shock a little, i like to distinguish myself from the mass, not by all costs, but this one feels good to me so i don't care, i love it!

This is a fantastic cold weather scent - full of heavy, rich fragrances, smelling of an Orthodox church and at the same time animalistic. The incense and civet hit you at first, for the initial 5 minutes or so, this is a bit disjointed, and this is where most people would shy away.

Let the alcohol dry off, let it settle in and warm up on your skin, and the incense blends with green sage, a hint of vetiver, and the oakmoss and leather start to come out. The body of the fragrance rides for hours this way - slightly smoky, green, woody, mossy. All the while a little bit of the civet and musk peek back through.

There is nothing "fresh" about this fragrance. There are no strings or winds or trumpets. It is all bass and low brass. Scents like this and Grey Flannel are made for the cold, wet winter.

A FECAL MASTERPIECE!! FULL OF POWER.....best part about it....after using the bathroom, don't turn on the fan, just spray 5 sprays of this in the air and you will swear your in a public bathroom somewhere in a ghetty gas station off of highway 40 traveling cross country.

Yessssim very powerful stuff. Many haters....I like it because it is daring, provocative, and different. Whether it smell fecal or not.

actualle i think its a chypre spicy for notes aldehydic almost petitgrain,clary sage and spices in top,in the heart orris root,patchouly leaf and the earthy vetiver,finalized of course with leather,civet and oakmoss.

Kouros is a very unique fragrance.Like in every unique fragrance it is a love or hate fragrance.You have to be easy on the trigger to understand the magic of this juice.If it is used right, it evolves on your body during the day and blend with the body odor and give you a sexy natural smell.Also not everybody have it, that is a plus.

After 30 years on the marketplace this still remains strangely compelling in an unusual, distinctive, seductive way. It's an undeniably fine and brilliantly composed fragrance. Such a bold statement.

Hmmm. I'm pondering whether to go down memory lane and purchase a bottle...

Using a few, it blasts for a long time at any place! Symbol of eternal virility

Sillage: 10
Longevity: Really 10, powerful
Scent: 7

Ohhh my, true story. It was 1990, I was finishing my mechanical engineering degree. I had 6 fragances at the time (My mom worked at Sears fragance department, sweeeet!), Fahrenheit, CK Obssesion, JOOP Homme, Passion, Sung Homme and Kouros.
My girlfriend at the time, knew and loved Obssesion, which I used when we got out during the night, and Fahrenheit, which I used during the day at college. When She saw all the bottles in display in my room, She asked "Ohhh, you use women's fragances too?", JAJAJA. She saw the color and shape of the bottles for JOOP, Passion, Sung and Kouros and assumed they were all women's fragances.(At that time, those colors were not very "Manly")
I took her for a scent test, and She loved all, EXCEPT KOUROS!.
Long story short, I still use ALL of them today, EXCEPT KOUROS, and that is the end of the story!

"Kouros" is one of those perfumes that their image is larger than the smell!
Of course it is based on a Greek theme [funny how foreigners always manage to sell Greek themes better than Greeks themselves (see Versace for example), but let's not get into that bitter conversation now, since I don't feel particularly generous about my fellow citizens lately (where "lately" put "the last 30 years")], the white marble bottle and the blue package with the lettering and the motifs are simple, great and to the point.
The smell is very characteristic and unique! Sharp and dry, kind of arrogant and emphatic, a bit on the monotony side I would say.
You smell it once and you never forget it!
Many men still wear it because it makes them feel so powerful and attractive, but as you know, when you buy "Kouros" you don't just buy a perfume. You buy a status as well!
I am more than happy with the way the new bottle feels at one's hand and yes I'll agree with the designers the decorative silver lines outside, were one silver line too much!
Now a small story. I was in a big department store in Athens when I saw two very sexy (but in an arrogant way) girls at the YSL counter.
"Hello girls", I said. "I see Kouros is still on the market, I can hardly believe it! Does it sell?"
-"It not just sells" they both said confident I'd buy the perfume for their sake only. "It outsells!!"
-"Then", I replied "I won't buy it. Who wants to smell like all the the rest, anyway.." (ok, later I found out they were not all that arrogant in person :))

a note: I consider the flanker "Kouros Fraicheur" (see my review) even better than the real thing. If you find it, get it without hesitation.

I always knew this to be oldschool and a classic American Man, Dad, Uncle, Grandfather scent.My dad had this and I would sometimes go into his closet as a boy and spray this or his other old school classic man scents. So this cologne does take me back. But I don't see me wearing it in today's world. All I see wearing this is old guys or guys that just got here from Cuba.I know they don't sell it in grand department stores or high end. I only seen it in marshall's and Sears so that kind of told me that its one of those forgotten or ultimately classic colones people tend to pass on. I saw it recently and took a wiff to recall old days. Yuuuuup I was right, NOT for me. It has that old school man scent. That may remind you of when Dad or Grandpa would come visit or hug and kiss you and they would smell like this, with their cigar, tobacco pipe scent and beard pinching you. Maybe that's why woman love it so much cause it has that vintage Gentleman smell or psychologically turn them on cause it reminds them of vintage rugged man or the men they looked up to. But for me, I think people would tell me I stink or smell like old man. So that's not ultimately a compliment since I'm young and tend to lean towards scents that are fresh, woodsy and different that no one recognizes or commonly over used. (like: YSL L'Homme, Terre D'Hermes, Un Jardin Sur le toit, Cartier declaration essence, F by Ferragamo, Burberry Brit/Touch, Tom Ford, Hermessence, Bottega Veneta, Dior Homme, etc.)

If Kouros were a situation:

You're in a patio garden not so far from the sea. After a day of harsh summer sunshine, the potted orange trees' bark welcomes the moist cool air that the night is now bringing. One of the tealights burns out. You smear some of its wax on your linen sleeve. The setting wax turns a lacquered cotton-candy pink and fatty baby blue. The only sound around comes from your jute-rope soles on the chalky pebbles.

I’ve worn Kouros on and (mostly) off since its release. I’ve never found it skanky or off-putting in the least. Categorically, I find it a musky, spicy-floral fougère. I’ll admit the musks give it a bit of a mammalian undertone, but the clove, botany’s super antimicrobial, more than holds the unwashed at bay. I tend to find the musks that others find raunchy, dirty or displeasing merely skin-sweet and appealing. I find Muscs Koublai Khan adorable and actually a bit quaint.

So here’s my scorecard on the judgments leveled on Kouros:

Musky? —Yes. Sweet like the skin at the nape of someone’s neck.
Clovelike? —Yes, cool to the touch.
Indolic? — Yes. Orange blossom.
Urinous? — No. Maybe elsewhere in the world there are Kouros-scented urine cakes, but I get neither the urinal nor the urine vibe.
Poopy? — No. Simply, no.
Powerhouse? Compared to an eau de cologne for instance, yes. Otherwise, merely works like a fragrance. (You know, you’re supposed to smell it.)

All I knew on my own skin before Kouros was the original Chanel’s Antaeus. It was dark and brooding and had huge projection and sillage. I wasn’t sparing in applying Antaeus and while it left a wake a mile wide behind me, I believe it also actually preceded me into a room as well. By comparison, Kouros was a sweet pussycat.

This was the first mens powerhouse offering from the 1980s. I didnt encounter it until 1985, when it became my signature. Coming from YSL it was perhaps the largest composition ever created for men. It still gets so much attention. Oddly, a lot of bad reviews-see below!

Looking at the notes-it is a classic fougere. Toss in some animalic notes and you get sex in a bottle. Artemesia and patcholi bring the urinal cake into play. Yes, Kourous seems pissy upon application, yet as it rests, it developes into smokey rich temple offering! Its for those bad boys who your mom warns you about! It always reminds me of sitting around a hot summer pool sipping pastis. It can last for 2 days or more if you dont shower...

There will never be anything like again and its still in production today. I am sure it has been toned down. I still have some original formula. I use about one spray a year nowadays. Its mostly for nostalgia-or a particular hot date...

02/24/12 Update!!!Tragic reformulation was due sooner or later. Nothing is sacred to L'Oreal Paris. I hope they are happy changing history-mine lasted about 25 years with this wonder! I have purchased my last vintage bottle. It is a splash and will last for the rest of my life.

Strong, rich, intense, original, recognisable. What else would you expect from YSL? This a fabulous signature fragrance with a personality, but certainly not for everybody. I highly recommend it, but strongly discourage potential enthusiasts from blind purchase. This is a wild beast! I love it.

The point is, subjectivity has LIMIT. Kouros is not fresh. Kouros is very strong, striking, invasive, "territorial" even. ICON OF PERFUME is a strong male. Fixed a lot. It is synonymous with virility, masculinity, has a hand up and dirty "animal." It has time and place to use: typically for mild temperatures and night. For me, it fits fine apparel and formal occasions. Many who have it, but very few who know how to use it. A spray is designed to more and catastrophe. In the wrong hands, it is absolutely suffocating, sickening, nauseating. It is an undisputed classic, yet it has aged badly. Again, Kouros is NOT cool. Who wants to smell the line "fresh" have to look for the "Aqua anything" and the "fraiche", "light", "summer" or "ice" of vida.Thanks Pierre Bourdon M, I use since 1990.

The first time I smelled I couldn't believe how bad it was. I described it as dirty diapers on brindle goldenrod industrial carpeting. That was some years ago and today: I am wearing it right now and it's fantastic. I can not smell what repulsed me originally. Really, really nice. Not screaming 80s, not dirty, not even loud. I asked my boss if it was too strong and she said that she could barely smell it, that it was faint and she loved it. I actually wish I could smell that original impression again, just for fun. In fact I only bought because it was discontinued and I wanted an 80s nostalgia item. I was surprised when it turned out to completely fail on that count.

I think this is the cologne "Sex Panther" was based on, oh yeah it attracts all the women, its so individualistic, so refined, so modern...its too bad 80% of the people you wear it around cant appreciate it. Honestly foalks this is one only perfumers will understand because they have been bombarded by hundreds of scents and want something "special" it is special. Just not the kind of sex panther special you might want.

Don't like to wear regular freshening perfumes in hot days. I prefer to shock people and a little tease them!!!
So, I wear Kouros right today and here is 38c!
This devil scents exactly like Indian incense sticks when you burn them in a dark room ornamented with wooden furniture; smoky, dry, surrounding and powerful. It's so complex and strongly integrated.
Bravo Pierre Bourdon.

Hi.

A perpetual classic.KOUROS is a scent of confidence, sexiness and absolutely irresistible,manly scent.quite a killer combination that automatically draws ladies to you. Adventurous,Classic, Strong, Intriguring,Provocative,Timeless,Virile,Classy,Versatile, Unforgettable and Purely Sensual.

Aldehydes combine with a shot of artemisia and bergamot while the warmth of patchouli and cinnamon harmonizes with the sensual masculine base due leather,civet and honey for a very sophisticated and superb scent that demands attention and makes you feel sexy just wearing it.

This sexy evening scent is for anyone that desires a sophistication and subtle ecstasy that can only come with a Great fragrance.It is perfect for sensualists men in the Autumn/Winter weather.The fragrance lasts all day only with 2 or 3 sprays.Ladies if you are looking for an irresistible&classic fragrance for that special man in your life,i would highly recommend this one.

Sillage?Magnetic.

Longevity?Lasts and lasts.

7.5/10

Spectacular and enormous. Yes its strong, fabulous longevity and I adore it. Dirt? No patchouli. Piss? No Jasmine. Sweat? Civet maybe. Im so glad im not one of the dirt, sweat, pissy lightweights. To me this is has an opinion, its directional as the 80s was. Women in Poison and Men in Kouros lol clearly everyones noses were numbed by cocaine.

This is one of those very odd fragrances with heaps of personality. I have found that I can't get away with wearing it as a woman, it's just too well known. But, I do love it. Maybe because it smells of my school years in the eighties and sends me straight back to 'snogging boys' on the playing fields. Clearly a personal perspective!
Memories aside, it's a shame it's no longer very prevalent as it really is a truly unique scent, quite unlike anything else. On the rare occasions that I encounter it, my heads always turns to the source. 40 year men, if you want to attract a woman (or man) of similar age, this just might give you a head start.

Well, judging upon the fragrances that Janotte reviews, it is apparent why Kouros is hated by him - it's simply too individualistic a fragrance and far too challenging. Something he's not accustomed to - he sticks with the safe and easy ones. It makes it easier to blend in amongst the other boring folk. (edit - Sept. 13, 2011 - I guess he got a hint, left and had his comments voted away.)

I don't mind his detractions - in fact it just stirs up more interest in why Kouros is such a polarizing fragrance that so many do love. As we all know, bad PR can readily drive users in the unintended direction :) Keep it up the good publicity Janotte!

As for the fragrance - I cannot praise it enough. Yes, it takes some time to get used to for the fragrance novice, like many things such as scotch whiskey, cigars, caviar, certain artwork, particular cheeses, etc. However, when when the taste is acquired, it is as if a darkened screen has been lifted and the beauty and artistry shines through unimpeded. Such is the savagely sexual beauty of Kouros.

JANOTTE, This cologne came out in 1981. And it has not been discontinued yet. And it is a very good reason for that; It is a very good and a high quality fragrance!
I can assure you that it will not be discontinued in the near future either!

Only for true lovers and connoisseurs of perfumery more elaborated in the world ...
It will certainly be my next new perfume ...
Kouros results of the complex simplicity of perfection ...
I strongly recommend ...
It is absolutely remarkable and unforgettable ...

It's not called King Kouros for nothing.
The fragrance, bottle and name conjoin in an Allkunstwerk hitting home with almost religious fervor.

This is counter reformation. This is Bernini on a catholic crusade of the arts musing on athleticism, youth and sensuality in ancient Greece while at the peak of his powers.

The big question: Is this recommended for full retail price ? Yes ! Are you kidding ? It's like asking - is St. Peter's worth a visit if you like classic architecture.

On a cold winter evening, you went to meet a newly met acquaintance to their house. You sit down in their living room, playing with your mug of coffee. You dont know these people so well. You are constantly watching your mannerism: thinking twice before speaking, watching your gestures and posture, your body slightly tense due to the air of discomfort. Suddenly, you have an urge to empty your bladder. Very politely, you ask your hosts to direct you towards their bathroom. They do so with utmost courteousness.
You enter the bathroom and frisk the walls in darkness searching for the light switch. The bathroom being dark yet, you cannot see anything but you can smell. A combination of smells hit your sinuses. Smell of clean toilet , smell of air freshener, smell of soaps and lotions laying on the edge of the bath tub and the natural musky smell coming off the undergarments belonging to the owner of the bathroom. It is a combination of these smells, but while you perform your restroom ritual, you take time to analyse each smell according the its source. You feel oddly comfortable with this foreign aroma. Slowly, the cords of your discomfort loosen up and you feel an abstract intimacy with these smells. You are feeling intrigued, amused and slightly embarrassed at the same time.
Now that you have been through the olfactory experience of one the private areas of your acquaintance's house, you take your seat with a broader smile. You grab the mug of your coffee. Now your new acquaintance has become your friend.

Very strong and very original - as le parfum should be.

I love this scent because it is not like the others scents.

Toujours en vogue!

This one rocks. To me, it is a total masterpiece.
It opens and remains very strong, with spetacular sillage and lasting power throughout its olfactory show (yeah, it's that good).

What I get in the opening is a brief burst of freshness, followed up by some dirty notes (guess it's the civet) spices and a very dominant burning incense note (don't know why it isn't listed here) that immediately resembles those incenses that are burnt during religious rituals. That note is the protagonist of the show and, because of it, I consider this scent misterious and almost transcendental...

The incense remains during almost the entire lasting time of the EDT, and God, how does it last! (12+ hours easily).

In the middle notes the initial freshness disappears, and the incense + civet + spices combine with some subtle florals, and a hint of the sweetness of the tonka bean and vanilla is already noticeable, giving the fragrance a quality that is warm, dirty, dry and incredible seductive at the same time. The tonka bean and vanilla become more proeminent as the scent develops on the skin, sweetening the fragrance as the hours pass by.

It's unique, projection is killer, everything is perfectly blended in the composition, the fragrance is utter masculine (can't imagine a woman wearing this). Actually, I've dated some girls who asked me what I was wearing because they told me they never smelled anything so masculine and seductive before. I totally agree with them. Kouros seems to be the olfactorization of the masculinity essence.
You have to be comfortable and in touch with your masculinity to wear Kouros. It's not for the shy or the unconfident type of guy. Wear it boldly and proudly, and it will fit your state of spirit like a glove.

I can see why some would not like this one. It is definitelly a love-or-hate fragrance, and while I highly reccomend it myself, I do not reccomend anyone to buy it blindly.

That being said, Kouros will always have a special place in my heart, and I will always have it in my wardrobe.

Ps: just remember to go easy on the trigger, specially in hot weather, or you will ruin the entire show. Even great things can be intolerable when in excess.

Masterpiece.

Rate: 10/10.

Anybody heard of Lord Kyle by Lord Hamilton? The lady in the shop told me it´s a concentrated version of Kouros. I took a tester with me, and she might be right, it smells like like a more natural and stronger Kouros. I must go back and get a big bottle.
missan

KING KOUROS! *Melts*

I swear i've smelled this so many times before. It's been a while since i've done any reviews but this one has compelled me, to not review this masterpiece would be an insult to it's legacy.

This, to me, brings up imagery of a male lovers presence. Protecting me and ravaging me. A huge bulking man with no money, and a big heart.

This scent is Animalic Animalic Animalic. And ladies if you like the way your mans genitals smell after a hard days work, i'm sure you'll enjoy this one as much as i do.







I approve

Smell: 8
Longevity: 15
Sillage: 15

Too strong, too invasive, too old, too powerful and arrogant.
Like someone that has to yell to be noted.
All i can smell is funeral incense.

Longevity 10/10
Projection 10/10
Smell 3/10

This is pure sex. The skin which it works is really hard-to-find. Smell animalic and I think this smells good on me. Strange, poetic, strong and old but, who cares?
On me:

Sillage: Extreme (Touch anything and the fragrance will stuck on)
Longevity: Marvelous (8h+)

I remember those times when designer's fragrances used to be bold, intense, unique and even challenging. I remember those times when we used to wear a perfume to add an extra touch to our personality or simply to fully express it. I remember those times when we all used to smell different. Today it seems that this concepts have been slightly modified. We're all supposed to smell "clean", "inoffensive", "aseptic", "unoriginal". We're filled with anonimous fragrances, "blues", "light blues", "aquas", "fresh aquas". Why don't we all start dressing in white and get a barcode tattooed on our necks?



Kouros is a fantastic alternative to the above scenario and one of the most recognizable scents ever. A dirty, intriguing and extremely compelling fragrance that smells exacltly like a male's greased hairs and his sweaty body while he's wearing an intense animalic musky perfume. Sadly, or happily as the case may be, there's only one like Kouros. Be careful with dosage, this is very powerful.

Rating: 10/10

Handle with care... although Kouros makes me think of holidays in the Mediterreanean (Greece, Morocco, Ibiza) it can be tricky to wear it in high Summer, as then its qualities can be overamplified and the result is inevitably tacky and gauche. Once I had applied it and somehow my sense of smell became numbed so I applied some more. Bad idea. Basically with wearing too much you stink up the place where you are, and yes it tends to reek of urine then.

Having said that, in the right amount on the right occasion it can be dynamite!

Thoroughly 'different' from the accompanying fragrances which can often be found sitting beside it on the shelf of a major department store.

Uncompromising, sexy, powerful and above all distinctive. Depending on your own skin's ph balance, this complex fragrance will either work wonders on your olfactory glands or the opposite. Very much a love or loathe-type of fragrance. One general rule of thumb for the devotees out there (I am one), only one maybe two sprays of this stuff - very powerful stuff indeed.

Oh my.

This IS sex in a bottle. The coriander, orris root, patchouli, leather, oakmoss and civet translate into sex, no holds barred, sweaty, old school 1970's triple X film sex. There, I said it. Perhaps the other notes in this keep it from becoming too vulgar, there's suppose to be carnation, geranium, honey and other things in Kouros, oops, I didn't notice them!

Kouros is a mature, masculine, animalistic, sexual scent, the complete opposite of the myriad of plastic-y, clean smelling, unoffensive scents of today. Strong and attention getting. It's like the proverbial Spanish Fly. I got a real nose full of this recently and it blew me away, bwhahahaha~

Thanks Krmarich for swapping this with me, I'll never look at mens' fragrances the same way again! And I probably won't find any that come close to this one, either.

Kouros is the true meaning of an aromatic fougere.
It uses everything. Especially the powerful wood/floral combo style that makes so many 80's classics.
While still smelling very similar to Lomani and Drakkar Noir, enough so that I would not personally wear it, it claims it's own signature of worth in the honey, aldehydes, cinnamon and bergamot to separate itself from the rest, just that lil extra something.
There was recently a forum topic about "disliking a scent but admiring the quality",
well for me, Kouros fits that bill. While admittedly a tiny bit different from the two mentioned similarities, it's still far from my taste, but a complex and high quality scent IMO none the less.

I call it the elder brother of M7 and Givenchy π.
The scent is intensively strong and comprehensively masculine. The scent of an absolute power, the scent of muscles and bronzed skin, the scent of a man who sweats of heavy sport training, the scent of Greek athletes, the scent of triumph. It's a bomb!
It's bitter, sour, herbal and both cold and warm but more cold.
It's not for everyday usage, because it bores you in case of regular wearing; but it is a remarkable signature perfume.
The scent is mythic and sporty but can support highly formal suits and ceremonies. This is exactly a legend and one of the most important affairs in Mr. Laurent's life; definitely a power point for the house, a french heritage.
But be careful that over-apply can blow your temple up and give headache. Wear it in special occasions and make wonder, people may hate it but they can't stop sniffing around you. I believe that people, mostly love it or hate it and there's nothing between because it's do frank and strict and you can't be doubtful with it.

longevity, sillage and scent 10/10

از عطرهای خاص و کلاسیک کمپانی ایو ساین لارن میباشد
در تابستان روی پیراهن خوب جواب میدهد و کار شیکی محسوب میشود معمولا تمام دوستانم از رایحه آن خوششان میاید مردانه
جذاب
خاص
فرش و شاد
تلخ و مقداری خنک
لطیف و آرامبخش
کلاسیک
با دوام
پخش بوی خوب
مثل دیگر برادران خود کاری ارزنده از وای اس ال همچون جاز - له هوم و له نویت

KOUROS - EAU DE TOILETTE

Natural spray PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The fragrance of triumphant masculinity

KOUROS, inspired by the gods of ancient Greece, is a fragrance of strength and triumphant masculinity.
It’s a conquering spirit, the cult of the male body.

Size: 50 ml , 100 ml

به نقل از سایت تولید کننده

THE epitome of a male perfume. It just is. For me, it is equivalent to No5 for the male perfumes, just like Coco asked for a perfume which smells like a woman, Mr Pierre Bourdon, came up with a perfume which smells like a man. Simple as that.
EPIC!

Well , this is sex in a bottle. This is what a man smells like after hours of passionate sex, dirty, sweaty and sooooo good. It turns me on inmediatly and makes me want more and more.

they said Nell Armstrong was wearing Kouros thru his first discovery to the moon :)and it was a successful discovery.

oh my. enough of this youngsters cannot understand (I am twentysomething woman)!

enough of metrosexual guys wearing teddy bear scents!

I want a man wearing this :)

Kouros.

Oh my, what an innocent name for such a potent and strong perfume! In fact the name of this fragrance is an antitesys, because the noun “kouros” in classical Greek means young boy or as a secondary meaning youth, but in Kouros nothing has to do with the innocence of a young boy.
I see here on Fragrantica that a lot of ladies think that this perfume smells like sex in a bottle or like a strong, breath-taking, good at making love man, that just arrived from hard work sweatye but still smelling of some nice perfume.

Actually I myself find this perfume a very animalic and manly scent. I think that almost all the perfumes in the world are unisex, but with exceptions. Kouros is one big exception. Honestly I don’t see a woman wearing this. I’d rather imagine a woman wearing Opium for men or Vetiver but not this one.
Kouros deserves to be called by right the masculine variant of Christian Dior’s Poison.

They are both, strong, bold, with a lot of personality but warm and romantic and passional in the same time, just like warriors or heroes they have a super sensitive side. I wear Poison and when I wear it I feel like I would have a special aura around me. The same thing happens with Kouros, when I spray it on me.
Both perfumes Kouros and Poison mean much more than simple fragrances, they are like the most comfortable and cozy blanket under wich you can hide and make a lot of stuff.

The sillage is unbearable and the lasting power is criminal.

This is a paradox I know, although I am open and I consider that anyone can wear and enjoy every perfume that they like, masculine or feminine, no matter the age, I simply don’t imagine young clubers wearing this stuff.

A perfume for the male in you.

@Mariella, I've never read a comment as you did! It was extremely impressive, emotional and brief! You did it comprehensively!
I second that it's too masculine, erotic and powerful!
I haven't this yet but I smelled it many times and I've planned to buy. I can't neglect a wild and overwhelming perfume like Kouros, specially when it's from YSL.
Awfully perfect and lacks nothing!

One of the best fragrances to be ever created, those who hate it simply have no idea what a really good perfume should smell like. Kouros has all that it takes to last forever. I bought my one and so far only bottle when I was, let me think, 23 years old. I have loved it from the very first moment and doubt that my very special relation to Kouros will ever change.
I am 27 years old now, and have used very little of my bottle, considering the time-frame. If I want to feel divine, I wear Kouros!
Can you say "transcendental perfume"?

If you survive the opening, this is very nice, spicy, manly and sexy with a hint of beastly. If one is willing to put up with the massive, in your face, pissoir opening, which lasts a fair while, I'm afraid, is really another question.

Myself, I am undecided at the moment. It really does smell like (quality) urinal cake at first, which is funny the first time around, but could get rather annoying on repeat. Careful timing as to when to put this on would be necessary; unless you're a little naughty and want to smell like cottaging.

Unique.

I really like strong and complex fragrances (check my profile) but this lacks complexity altough is really strong; smells so bad i asked four women and a guy when i tried it for the second time and the reaction was very bad all five of them agreed that it was disgusting a girl said:¨is not you is the cologne smells just awfull smells like a very old drunk man¨ a nice 40/50 Elegant woman said: ¨yuck, that´s bad smells like cheap cologne¨... then i finally came to a conclusion:I guess that if it makes some women weak in the knees it must be a very old woman with a serious problem getting men; and if it appeals ballsy men it must be a very old guy with extended skin in that area and a lack of sense of taste and smell.

On my skin:
Top + Middle: OMG, omg, omg, omg....this...is....artwork! This! This scent, it shoots like a laser, or Darth Vader's light saber...
Does it has citrus? YES
Does it has sweetness? YES
Does it has grassy scent? YES (A lil')

This is....quite offending to most ppl. But the scent, this is artwork!!!

This scent...this...omg..its' got that, masculine, after-shave, men, sex, men, sex....

12 hours on my skin, do u believe it???

Base: The gentlemen sweetness of vanilla, with those top and middle notes sitting there. 6-12 hours.

This is harsh, seriously, I got alot of hate from this. Some say it smells old, some say 'wash it away, man, it smells like urine'. Some say 'if I am not with my boyfriend, I would have sleep with you....' HAHA!

1 spray near your neck and chest, I repeat, ONE! Is more than enough to knock ppl out!! And try not to get to your clothes, wear your clothes after the juice settle down, it could stain your shirt.

Daring scent for sure, you will cut through the smoke with this in lounge.

This is not a school or college scent. Your teachers or lecturers will hate you, girls will move away from you, and guys will laugh at you.

The country I am in has no 4 seasons, so it is either hot or cold weather. This works pretty very well on both actually. BUT 1! only one!!

My rating (base on 5 stars)

Scent: 5 (unique,artwork,masterpiece).

Sillage: 5 (you know when you see volcanoes on National Geographic and it seems dangerous? This one has it).

Time length: 5 (This scent is bonkers, 24 hours on my skin, even after bath).

Occasion: 1 (Sorry to say this, this scent....is not so modern to me, its dated, its not as cool as it used to be, but this one is a great gift for your dad, and tell him to be easy on the trigger).

Overall base on mathematics: 4/5

This artwork is a keeper, but will I use it? Most probably not...Maybe for intimate session XD. But if you are that tall, 6 footer with that big, giant muscles around you...bingo, this is for you =)

Personally I think this is a masterpiece, a very special cologne that cannot be repeated. The second from Pierre Bourdon should be Live Jazz.
Very special, divine even.

the best comment of this fragrance I've ever heard was from my ex girlfriend. Let me just say that KOUROS in my language(serbian) is similar with word that stands for penis (dick to be precise :D).
So, my girlfriend asks me: "What's that scent you're wearing?".
"Kouros", I say.
"Mmmmm, Kouros indeed".

Cant remember if I wrote a review on this but here goes, this will be very short because there is not much to say about this. I love Yves Saint Laurent & they dont have to take a back seat to anyone, but when it comes to Kouros, this is thee 1 & only frag I HATE from this house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So disgusting & vile... Body Kouros is MUCH BETTER! Thats my opinion! This simply does not work for me & I would not suggest this to an enemy!

Bought it yesterday after a while and now loving every micro bubble of it xD: )
Now this one will work for 2 years minimum. Because 2 puffs of this and you are flying : P : )
Guess what? It's time to hunt some Boooobes ::::))))))

crestfallen your view is your personal HATE with this HOT SHOT ever green scent.
I'm working in HSBC Rome as a product manager, kouros is wore by me and some other officers in my bank,it is considered to be the most elegant,masculine,stylish and long lasting perfume in our upper middle class section of HSBC. What are you writing this piss cake story?
I'm getting compliments from every second person in my bank and other officials. I am 37 now but i am using it for past exactly 13 years, it never annoyed me or any one around me,though after the bank with out gap i party with my female friends as i am still single and love being single, no one ever complaint like the way you presented this block buster of 80s.
You need to try again.

Hello every one ,,,
I have no much knowledge about notes and other technical stuff, i only wear what i like, I am wearing this perfume for past 8 years, first time when i got this as a gift from my sis an after shave of kouros i was in university, i liked it so much plus the class fellows always kept on asking about it, therefore i decided to buy a regular bottle of scent,since then i am only using this and some times Opium.But this beautiful scent always attract more women, so i was pretty shocked to see how can many people writing such bad comments about this scent. I think every bodys skin has a different skin properties, may be this is the reason.

Well to many haters of this classic item on this page. Why? I guess they have no idea how much females admire this on men.
I'm sure it is in the top 10 of hot sexy dames.The top notes are the sexiest XDD
About the age thing? Well i think it depends on skin chemistry, i'm 25 and getting a lot of compliments from younger and my age girls and boys, so i can't agree on this.
Very nice projection and longevity is Extra : )))
One thing i know, it is not for summers or hot humid countries.
It is a winter hit classic.
It proves the phenomena right that 'OLD IS GOLD'.

One of me and my dads old favorites, we love it like any thing, i mostly use at elite dinners and Get togethers, i agree every one can't swallow it easily cus it needs a very high profile mindset which many ppl donot have.
Sillage good, longevity on my dry skin fantastic.I donot want any thing more in 34Eur fr 100ml.!!!!
All together a GREAT SHOW !!!!

@ marioslg you are RIGHT !!!!

it's not exclusively for 'mature men'. i first wore it in my twenties and felt special. ladies always complimented me and would say how enigmatic i smelled. now i wear polo and so does my son.

Makes the ladies weak in the knees indeed, irrespective of age, ha, ha! Best application advice: fill a bottle having a capillary opening in its neck (with diameter < 1 mm) and apply no more than 50 to 100 MICROLITERS at a time and you'll be in fine shape.

Dear Crestfallen,

Kouros is not for young guys. Kouros is for mature men with balls as you said. I had the same opinion with you some years ago but now I'm nearly 36, I find this a very macho perfume and is something that smells like no one else. It has to be applied on the right skin and be 100% a "clean guy" in order to give you the maximum. I remember in late 90's, my boss used to wear Kouros and was an absolute disaster on him. Now I'm using Kouros and although I have more than 60 perfumes, Kouros is something else. I don't know how old are you or what you like perfume-wise but this is indeed a love or hate perfume. So, thank god Kouros is for very few people. Needless to say that it is a very strong perfume, not for hot weather and should applied on the skin with care. It smells like urinal cakes but in a very attractive manly way that is so nice...at least on me. In my opinion is the best male perfume ever because it is so masculine, smells sweet without being female, last long and no other perfume can be similar to Kouros....either you like it or not. I'm saying this because I'm a fan of YSL perfumes and especially the old school perfumes.

OFFICIAL REVIEW

After wanting Kouros for a long time, I decided to test it for the 3rd time. The main thing that attracted me to Kouros was the greek statuesque bottle which I love. The past 2 times I tested this, I put it on my skin on a day with nothing to do. After reading ALL the "love/hate" reviews online, I couldn't risk running into the "haters" group in real life. I definitely realized why it was so controversial because my first thought was "Pissed on urinal cakes in a public bathroom". However, I was still set on finding out what made this a great fragrance to the "lovers". After all, when you read reviews on fragrance girls call "sexually arousing, weak in the knees and undeniably masculine", you have to wonder what makes it so great? Which leads us to today

I went to a fragrance store and sprayed this on paper. The attractive sales girl who appeared to be in her mid 20's said "Is that for you?!" in a suprised but very questionable tone(Hint #1). I asked her opinion and she replied "Its very spicy and old school" with an I-don't-want-to-hurt-your-feelings type of tone(hint #2). But I remained optimistic, searching to find what was so appealing about Kouros. Undecided, I left the store with the scent strip in hand. This scent reminds me of something in my youth, but I cannot recognize what(besides public restrooms). Long story short, I went to the mall and walked around for an hour and came back to my car. When I got in, I smelled an odd, fecal smelling odor. I immediately looked down and found the culprit, the Kouros drenched scent strip(she had only sprayed it once).

Just like that, when I wasn't forcing myself to find an excuse to like Kouros, it bitchslapped me in the face in the most ungrateful of ways. Right then and there I realized an important lesson in life, "Always trust your instincts". My mind was made up and I threw away that paper.

BOTTOM LINE: This fragrance was apparently a smash hit in the early 80's. Being 21yrs old, I find this fragrance offensive. I also realized that 95% of the online reviewers were older men/women, damn near geriatric, who were stuck in the 80's. Kouros is talked up but unfortunately does not deliver to the 18-29yr old girls I am going for. That being said, I can see it being potentially beneficial to use when one is in the in milf-getting mood. I'll have to think deeper about that but for now, its a DEFINITE no-go

I'll finish my review on this note: I've often read Kouros described as fragrance a guy has to be "very balls-y" to wear. I must say I totally agree. You must have elephant sized testicles(or be olfactory disinclined)to wear a fragrance that smells like urine covered fecal matter, covered with industrial cleaning materials that is almost GUARANTEED to offend 60-70% of the ppl around you. Balls-y indeed

This one seems to be about skin chemistry. If your skin "eats up" fragrances, then this may be for you. On me, the animalic notes never mellow out, and it is not pleasant at all. If I leave aside the skin chemistry issue, meaning that if I had to assess Kouros based only upon my skin chemistry, I'd say that it's a failed attempt at merging the Victorian kind of fragrance ("heavy" floral, musky, animalic, etc.) with the 80s "power fragrance" kind of idea. What results comes across as more of an attempt to cover up a horrible smell with powerful chemical disinfectants (thus the "urinal cakes in a men's room" impression many have) than anything else. I can understand Bijan for men, for a point of reference, but not this, at least not for a personal and pleasant olfactory experience. I thought that diluting it might eliminate the harsh, unbalanced, offensive qualities, but it does not, though I've found that doing so makes One Man Show pleasant/wearable. In short, I think the idea was to "throw the kitchen sink" in and "amp it up to the max," thinking that moths are attracted to flames, or something along those lines. How it can be used to impress (or repulse) others is a question I'm not really interested in, but it's clearly a "statement making" fragrance.

UPDATE: I sampled my heavily diluted version of Kouros and now I can just about tolerate it. I'd say it's like this big ball of honey sweetness emerging out of a fetid swamp of animalic/earthy/musty notes. It's actually rather interesting, but I really need to be in the mood for it. I think the patchouli, wood, and sweet notes are now the accord I dislike most (in the diluted version), whereas undiluted it is overpowering to such a degree that I can't even try to figure out which notes are bothering me most.

UPDATE #2: I think the patchouli is what makes these kinds of fragrances unbearable to me (that includes Sung Homme as well). Not that I hate patchouli, which is strong in Michael for Men (Kors). That's one of my favorite fragrances. I think that vanilla, civet or castoreum, and patchouli are the combination I find highly unpleasant.

UPDATE #3: I sprayed once to the chest with original formulation Kouros, and the animalic quality was very strong at first. However, within the hour the balance was much better. The main players in the drydown include the animalic quality (clearly "dirty jasmine"), a vanillic/honey element, and a kind of clean smoke musk. The other notes play more of a supporting role, though you can tell there is spice, patchouli, a light incense quality, etc. There is something similar in the drydown of Sung Homme but here is doesn't become irritating, as I find it does in that one. I'm not sure I like this as much as Joint for Men, which is similar, but I think I can wear it now and enjoy it. Obviously, this is not for those who want something "fresh" or "sporty." I plan on wearing a subsequent formulation (not the latest) and report back.

UPDATE #4: I recently did a comparison between oldest formula and newer one (with chrome on shoulders). I haven't tried newest. These are very similar but there are some notable differences. The oldest has three distinct facets, vanilla/honey, animalic, and "clean" smoke/musk. The other notes are in the "background." The newer one is more blended together, and seems to have a bit more honey. It's closer to Sung Homme than the oldest, with more pronounced patchouli. I prefer the oldest formulation.

When i sniffed my wrist after having applied Kouros, i instantly got this nauseous feeling that i still can't get rid of. Moving on, after some minutes the fragrance evolved into a oriental delight (vanilla & honey) with a soapy accord in the background. It me reminds a great deal of Ted Lapidus pour Homme (1987), but Kouros is a multi-faceted beast instead. There's one more thing that should be taken into account, it all depends on your skin chemistry. Therefore Kouros is not for everybody.
And never ever overapply it! Otherwise you're gonna stink like a pile of poo!

Kouros is an aquired taste like whiskey or even beer. It takes a few times of experiencing it to actually like it. Of course, the problem is: Kouros doesn't make a good first impression on young people nowadays. There's a dirty note from start to finish that is never totally hidden by the rest of the thick, strong, soapy composition. Kouros creates more of an affect for a guy rather than just a nice smell.

I swore by this scent when I was 21 and living in Wellington New Zealand. It was sweet and manly and everywhere I walked I knew that women could smell my halo of Kourous emanating steadily over a 12 hour period. Now, I have lived in London for 12 years, am 37 years of age and Kouros reminds me of that musky fecal smell when a guy takes a massive dump and the musk from his rectal perineum gland mingles with copious amounts of floral air freshener that he sprays to mask the fecal musky pong.

My husband wore this when we dated in the 90-ies. I remember it as a deep, strong and very masculine scent with great sillage and stayingpower. It was quite original compared to other male fragrances on the market at that time.

I've never liked this. IMAO this is bottled "crap". Literally. I've seen it being hilariously described elsewhere as having a "wonderfully vile" fecal smell (ROFL). Needless to say I disagree with this in as much as fecal smells are abhorrent. People smelling this on you could well end up scratching their heads wondering which planet you've come from...Ur-anus? Certainly nowhere pleasant. Don't do it!!

If you must get this, then let me respectfully suggest a less offensive and more pleasant alternative: Kouros Fraicheur (if you can find it). And whilst I'm at it, FOR GOD'S SAKE please bin that old white suit of yours - it's 3 inches too small at the waste now!!

It's as if Yves Saint Laurent himself removed all the Ls from the "HEATED POOL" signs.

If you are part of the rarefied few who can pull this off, MAJOR kudos!

Another love or hate scent! And it's a no no for me, and for my age.
I have to say that it's very unique, warm and sweet in oriental way, suits for gentlemen 30+
Mabe I will purchase this for my daddy as a birthday gift!

The classic masterpiece of YSL. I'm a fan on YSL perfumes, especially for this, M7 and Rive gauche but this is the classic male perfume that will always be my signature scent. It is a love or hate perfume and unique. Nothing else smells like this!

The classic fragrance of men....heavy, strong, masculine but not for all....on the right skin is fantastic, on the wrong skin is a total disaster. I would say for chaps above 35 years and not to be used in the summer. The shower gel and after shave balm are also fantastic.

Absolutely impressive and last for almost 12hrs ++... For best compliments on earth order it now.

Yes, it is hyper-masculine, yes it is very strong, yes it has monster sillage.

But, having in view it's high concentration, isn't it obvious that one should first put a minimal amount and then work one's way up to a decent quantity?

Why on Earth do people spray it like it's some weak watery Cool Aqua de Whatever Summer Light Edition Stratospheric Ray of Sunshine?

It's KOUROS, people!

The Eau de toilette bought as a gift for me in 1981. I have had more compliments on this spray than anything I've ever owned. The women absolutely love it. I absolutely love it. I'm not kidding...total strangers stop me and either say how good it smells or ask what its called and where they can find it. I've been using it since 1981. I bought 5 large bottles 4 years ago. Time to restock. It never goes bad. I guarantee if you buy this product...you will love it! I'm told it smells as nice at 5pm...as it did at 5am when I put it on. I hope they never stop manufacturing it.

Classic, masculine, powerful, one of a kind fragrance. Absolutely the best value for money male fragrance available. This will always be one of my favourites.

This smells like what central Italy is all about in the middle of summer time. Truly classic.

For the ladies out there, if you try it then you're trying an amped-up version of the original Fendi for women.

Not for the meek.

I ll describe it by one word: "hypermasculine".
The most strongest and long lasting scent I ve ever known, absolutely a sillage monster.
It is normal that new generation hate it, in fact they cant understand it, because they were born into a world of simple and vanishing in a minute aquatix such as ADG etc. So their non-trained noses cant understand.
This is a beast for a real, brave and bold man!
Just 2 spritz enough for all day and night.

love it love it................or was it the man i was in 'infatuation' with as a young schoolgirl/teenager that i love{d}?

sexy real man kind of fragrance...certainly not for whipper=snippets

I've loved this scent ever since it came out in the 80s. Whenever I smell it, I have a compulsion to follow the guy wearing it (sneakily of course). That's how much power this scent has over me!

I tested this scent today and it reminds me of a urinal cake, but in a good way i guess. VERY mature scent, im 20 and I don't think I could pull this off, simply bc girls my age can't stand this stuff and say it smells like an old man (partly agree). I think a more mature, business type of guy could pull this off. Age 30+ for this one. I am blindly buying the flanker Body Kouros so we will see how that one pans out.

Even though I am not 100% sure on this one, it is April and the weather is hot in Dallas. I will try this one out again in the fall/winter months, I think it will be a lot better.

Don't like although I'm sure that if applied sparingly it might work for some people. Call me crazy but I can smell a similar note of this cologne in Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamond. I couldn't put my finger on it right away, I kept smelling something masculine in White Diamond thn I realized these fragrances share similar notes like patchouli, cinnamon and jasmine perhaps why the resemblance.

I regret my previous review, I'd changed my mind. I love Kouros, and other YSL fragrances as Body Kouros and Opium!

Plus SCULPTURE ;)

A love or hate one this! I love it. Strong, lasts a long time, a unique smell - at its best when you smell a "waft" of this on the air rather than a direct smell on the skin. In my opinion it's a woody oriental but it's great stuff - watch out you don't overdo it! Smells fantastic on your clothes after 24 hours! One of the most masculine fragrances is the one and only KOUROS.

Handle with care! I found upon application it numbes your sense of smell so you feel inclined to apply more. Don't! It will enter any room well before you and will linger like the guest that will outstay his welcome like there's no tomorrow. Used in moderation it can be nice and seductive, but although it smells like a holiday in Greece, better not use it on hot days. And best not on hot summer nights, not even in Greece.

Best ever, long lasting, don't make the mistake to over spray, one puff is more than enough. The first time i bought it i did the mistake of 3 puffs and then went with the tube, it felt like all the people there looked at me it was too powerful. A bottle lasts more than a year using it almost daily. I recommend it! not only for over 40.... i have 24...

Kouros is weird,wild,marble cold and spicy hot at the same time.

I absolutely adore the tarragon note.
It is rarely used lately...

I'm a woman, aged around 35 and I find Kouros off-putting. It keeps me at distance. No male attraction. Only a big stink. I blame it on artemisia and coriander which are pungent and revolting smells and they smell similar to some type of masculin sweat: the pungent one. I can't stand it. That's when I pass by a sweaty running man (especially youngsters) and even in open air my nostrils get pierced by that pungent acrid male sweat odour. Bad. There are other kinds of male sweat which smell better. I'm not saying that Kouros smells exactly like that kind of sweat, but it comes close, like a worked natural smell.
The ads are not so bad after all, but I'm interested in the juice.

To kittycat63...
Three women with whom I work love Kouros, one in fact indicated in humorous terms that I had better watch myself if I ever wore it. All of the women are in their 40's ... I can imagine that more mature women (as opposed to younger women) would tend to like this more. My daughter says it makes her gag, my wife is one of the few who has no strong feeling either way.

ALL MEN READING THIS TAKE NOTE ...
KOUROS IS REVOLTING!!!!

I'm a girl (well, a woman actually!) and when I was a (little bit!) younger and more naive I was browsing in the perfume section of a department store and came across what I mistakenly thought was an interesting looking bottle of new perfume so I excitedly spritzed some on, only to recoil in absolute horror at the stinkiness that came out of that bottle! To my horror I realised it was actually a man's scent and it was KOUROS. My god, it was VILE with a capital V.I.L.E.!! Luckily, I was on my lunchbreak and my office was close by so when I got back I rushed to scrub it off my wrist but, to add insult to injury, I could not get rid of the stench so I had to endure it all afternoon and I was ashamed that everyone at work would think I smelled as horrible as I thought I did!! On top of that, it made me feel queasy so I spent the rest of the day trying not to inhale too much!

Anyway, to cut to the thrust (so to speak!), I know a bad smell when I smell it and Kouros has to be one of THE most disgusting and stomach churning smells I've ever come across. It's almost impossible to describe how awful it is, except that I found it very sterile and clinical smelling, almost antiseptic, and more like some industrial cleaner or something than a sexy man's scent! I definitely would not want to snuggle up and get close to a guy who was doused in this.

I agree with a lot of the reviewers on here that Kouros is definitely NOT for the faint hearted but I can only imagine any man who gravitates towards this thinking it's sexy and that it will lure women towards him is nasally impaired in a major way!

Anyway, one men's scent I can highly recommend, and which I think is EXTREMELY sexy, is Issey Miyake. Now that's lovely .. which is ironic because the female Issey Miyake scent is almost as disgusting as Kouros. What a shame! I'd actually rather wear the male one myself. Admittedly, it is a lot softer and maybe slightly more "feminine" in some ways than Kouros but that's not a bad thing and it smells very sexy and certainly catches my attention when a guy wears it!

It is 1988, I have just turned sixteen and I am on a plane headed for the Greek island of Kos for my first 'adult' foreign holiday. I look through the duty free magazine and make my first ever fragrance purchase. I have never smelt it before, I take a gamble on a bottle that looks a bit like the Greek architecture that I am headed towards. It even sounds a bit like the place I am going. Surely it has to be fate?

I have to say that my sixteen year old self loved the smell of Kouros. I thought it to be distinctive and clean smelling. An absolute perfect olfactory sound-track to my first coming of age beach holiday. Imagine, a day of swimming in Aegean waters and laying on the beach soaking up the sun's rays. Then a shower in the evening followed by a hefty dose of Kouros. Then out on the town to drink and flirt. I felt like the bee's knees and probably killed a few bees too from over application. For a good few months, I never smelt anyone else wear it and I always got compliments (mostly from older women) of how nice I smelt. Then I started to notice more and more people begin to wear it and I began to realise how potent this stuff really was. Subtle it is not. As I began to notice it's very distinctive scent on other people, I fell out of love with Kouros. It was like a beautiful girl who flirts with you and makes you feel like the only guy on the earth and then you one day find out she is the same with everyone.

I still have fond memories but this is one love affair I will never feel the need to re-visit. Oh, and in case you were wondering about that summer holiday... yes, I did ;)

I got a 1 mL tester of this along with my recent purchase of Body Kouros.

I really don't know what to think of it. I don't find it as immediately revolting as some do, but I'm certainly not crazy over it either. Unfortunately I do kind of pick up on that urinal cake scent that is sometimes mentioned.

One thing I do know is that I would not wear it in public. There's something just a bit wrong with this scent, but of course that's only my opinion.

One thing for sure, is that you should test this before buying -- this is not something to blind buy.

This is a classic, all-time, sexy, masculine fragrance that every man should have in his fragrance wardrobe.

Admittedly, it's part of the 80's Zeitgeist and some parfumistos may see it as a negative; but why has it so much appeal even until today, I ask?

I have just finished a precious bottle and looking out for another, as it's a wardrobe staple for me.

Long-lasting and great sillage. Wear this and know you're sexy.

It is definitely for a more mature-minded man and not for younger males who may enjoy wearing the lighter, 'fresher' versions of this iconic fragrance and other 'fresh' scents that are mass-produced for the youth market.

It's pure sex and not for the faint-hearted!

Truly Masculine.....So distinct and fresh......It was my first grown up colonge and I still wear it.....Compliments abound when I wear it. The longevity is the longest of any I have. When you people talk about classic fragrances this is the one I think of...Nothing compares

I picked up a couple of 50mL bottles of the EDT that were being cleared (about $5 US ea) without smelling them - at that price why not. When I got home and tried it I was blown away. I love it - it is so rich. It lasts on me 6 or more hours. I made the mistake of applying 3 sprays when I first got it (as I do with some lesser fragrances) and found that waaay too much (my wife said "Don't use 3 sprays or you'll either give me a nose bleed or an asthma attack") - it reactivated on my skin as I was doing some public speaking and made me start to cough.

My wife likes it, my daughter says it makes her gag. This is definitely a masculine scent and probably my favourite - or at least top 5, it is a masterpiece.

Oh god, this is an all time favourite of mine. I remember being about 16 and smelling this, it was addictive. Hate to admit it but i would follow men wearing this despite my then tender years. Failing that i would spray it on myself for a fix. Its very pungent by today's standards but its one of the most recognizable scents. Complete turn on in a bottle....and yes for men not boys.

I love it...I remember buying a bottle in the early 90s when I was a teen....I could smell for days on my coat....I still wear it and the compliments pour in......It is very different and not that common anymore

Well, for those of you who love, or for those of you who want to experience this for yourselves, I have a bottle for sale. PM me and we can discuss. I had to try it myself and agree that it is both repulsive and a beautiful work of art. It may be the most impressive fragrance I've ever experienced but I don't ever want to wear it again. And I don't care how many women it is supposed to attract, I have plenty of others that also attract very well. Kouros anyone? I have a speeding ticket to pay...!

Yes indeed, Kouros is definitely the perfume you love or hate - there's no middle ground. I love it. I love it for the reason I love Yatagan - it's risky and utterly unconventional. It's got some beautiful citrus/floral top and heart notes (reminiscent of Caron's Troisieme Homme). But then there's the infamous and reviled base - a raunchy, filthy note that smells like sweat and a toilet full of turds. Yes, it sounds disgusting, but the combination of all the notes together creates a very virile, hot-blooded fragrance that only a man can pull off. I come from the school of thought that most fragrances are "unisex" (I hate that term), but I have a hard time imagining Kouros smelling good on a woman. Kouros is quite simply a manly fragrance. Beware, however, and apply it very sparingly - this stuff is so concentrated and loud that if you pour it on people within ten feet of you will be on their knees choking and begging you to leave the room. Worn sparingly, however, Kouros is a masterpiece.

For those of you who are fascinated with Kouros, but don't think you can wear it because it's too heavy, I would highly recommend Kouros Fraicheur, which is a lighter and brighter version of Kouros and is an outstanding alternative.

Yuk!!!! To me it´s the worst perfume ever!! I really dislike this one and the smell makes me gag. It´s a woman repellent to me: I´d never get close to a guy with Kouros.

Yes, Countbernadotte is absolutely right! I couldn't not have described it better! Kouros is, next to Azzaro and Aramis, one of the best, sexiest and attractive male fragrances out there.

These 3 scents separate the men from the boys!

Personally, I want men to smell like men and not like women. A lot of male scents on the market today are overly sweet and (even) fruity….they might smell nice, but they are certainly not sexy.

Men, I'm a woman who loves good smelling men and I love Kouros, so does my sister. It does not smell like sweat to me, it's sexy and alluring - I agree with Countbernadotte on this - it makes me weak in the knees. Perhaps before you dismiss it so readily you should take a poll of the women you work with and in your life of what it smells like to them. It's my favorite men's scent and it's very seldom I come across a man who's wearing a scent I find attractive. What smells good to you does not necessarily translate into being alluring to a woman.

Men must view the appeal of any men’s fragrances with respect to their olfactory effect on women. Whenever Kouros is mentioned, I see too many heads shaking in denial, refusal and disbelief that it has merited any mention at all. Yet it’s almost insane spell on women who smell it on their men is beyond explanation!

However, from a man’s point of view, a woman’s fragrance should be feminine; that is sweet, sexy and fruity. If it is reminiscent of perspiration, it repels men regardless of how well it has been marketed as the quintessential feminine fragrance. The same logic should be applied on a man’s fragrance; if it appeals to women; that is feminine women, then it must be masculine. Kouros falls into this category; it is overtly masculine.

Women are aroused by a man’s sweat after a good work out in the gym. The odder of a man’s sweat, provided it is not a stench, is not offensive to women, in fact, studies have shown that women think of it as sexy and arousing; the whole mark of a man’s power and strength.

The folks at Yves Saint Laurent conducted an extensive market study to find out what men’s scent most women consider as sexy and arousing. The specter of a man hard at work in the gym, perspiring and showing muscle strength came as the number one attribute of sex appeal, ergo, they went to work to reproduce the closest scent that would represent this sex appeal to women in a man’s fragrance.

If men find Kouros by YSL unattractive and disconcerting, it is because men’s perspiration does not, nor should it, arouse other men, whereas, the same scent drives women putts when they smell it on an attractive man.

This should not be interpreted that Kouros smells of men’s sweat, it doesn’t. The thing is: it is not the classic scent men had come to expect out of a fragrance. The masculinity is derived from deep, deep wood and animal scents, strong and overpowering. What remains to be an absolute fact is: it drives women week in the knees, very week in the knees, …… Very, very!

For those of you who still find it too strong, please refer to my article on Opium Pour Homme by Yves saint Laurent.

Smells much of musk amber ... very deep in sensation ... good for night wear ... for it gives a woody heavy smell to it leaving an elegant touch in you

a real masculine scent, i just love it it's simple it has an strong smell that u will never forget it, it get stuck in ur nose. the only fragrance that i like it from yves saint laurent. its a sophisticated compose hardly to describe but very pleasant to use it. is sexy and masculine at the same time and terrific long lasting!

hey slipcat, where did you hear that YSL dont produce Kouros anymore? It is one of the classics among parfumes, and it will be produced for many years to come. YSL would be crazy if they cease it from production, and I hope that day will never come.

This one is sooo strong... I had it and I will have it again. Really masculine and unique. Comments on Kouros are very different when I wear it; some girls love it, some find it repellant and vulgar. Whats important, is that I feel powerful when I wear it. And I like that feeling.

Outstanding in a sense there is nothing that smells like this! Very masculine and machismo.

Greek Gods would have smelled like that as it is THE bodybuilder fragrance and very 80ies! Still a classic and very suitable for very self confident men. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Claude Van Damme, or Tyson Beckford would smell like this. Very homo-erotic as well.

Fresh, citrus, soapy, white linen, white flowers, amber, and heaps of musk and civet....an aphrodisiac.

If you wear this on your first date, you will definitely end in bed, lol.

This one is very difficult to describe: some love it and some hate it!
It is agressive to others noses, but is sensual, warm and sexy for those who wear it.
I like a lot this scent. Besides that, is just necessary 2 or 3 sneezes to smell for the entire day.
One who loves this scent will be loyal to it forever!

Very masculine, but one of my favourites when I need to make an aura of strengt around myself. I'm a heartbraker wearing this one.
And it has all my favourite ingredients.

One of my all-time top colognes. This cologne got me a lot of "positive" attention from the women and was a great ice-breaker. I am very sad to hear that they no longer make it. Perhaps my highest recommended cologne.

I love to wear this and I am a woman...love fragrance with a bite..this has that , yet I find it kind also...very sensual...I am an American woman from Gerogia ! (I do weight train also!)

This is an all-time, sexy, masculine fragrance that every man should have in his fragrance wardrobe. Long-lasting and great sillage. Wear this and know you're sexy. Not for the faint-hearted!

one of the most aromatic and long lasting fragrance that is masculine and sex appealing.

quite differnt scent

Very masculine scent. Works great on a more mature man.