Reviews of Kouros (1981)
by Yves Saint Laurent

I really loved the first notes, because the urine smell was masked by the citrus. But as the perfume progressed and the middle and basenotes arrived, it was basically urine that I was smelling. It is very difficult to judge this perfume because it is very pleasant in the beginning. But I feel I don't have the guts to wear it in public, because people will think I wet my pants.

I can appreciate this scent as imaginative, intriguing, and complex but as far as personal fragrances are concerned, I think one would be better suited by hanging 4-5 of those pine tree shaped air fresheners around your neck.

This is a beautiful refinement of the smell of a urinal cake, and if that is what YSL was trying for it was a remarkable success. Kouros gets a neutral rating for being of excellent quality, but having no real use as a personal fragrance. IMHO.

You can't sit on the wall with this one, you either love it or hate it.
Whilst I would never wear it as I find the musky civet note suffocating, I can appreciate that it is amongst the best of the big 80's fragrances and I'm secretly jealous of men that can pull it off.

Tested this the other day at Perfumania, where the SA (who likes BLV Bulgari and other light scents) was repulsed. I don't care, she was also repulsed by Shalimar and many other great feminine scents. I happened to love this one. I won't bother listing the notes, but it is oddly fresh and spicy at the same time. I think it is the florals that keep me coming back, I love geranium. For some reason it conjures up vivid feelings of nostalgia; to me, this is the most important part of fragrance. I think I remember smelling it on my dentist? Not sure, but I will buy a bottle soon enough!

Its sillage and longevity is really impressive but that’s where all the praise stops, I’m afraid. I have to admit that the drydown can be at times lovely but, essentially, I have no desire to smell like a recently cleaned public toilet.

Oh, how YSL despaired when those little pink urinal cakes blossomed and thrived in popularity…

Powerful- yep
long lasting- My word
sexy- matter of opinion perhaps
wearable- not on me!
I think the frachises on this one have been a lot more palitable and despite comments to the contrary I think Body Kouros carries off the fundamental notes very well.
At least it provokes a reaction whether it be good or bad!

Sex, semen, various other bodily fluids - what?!? I don't get any of that from this juice at all. What I do get is a bold blend of spices and incense that to most Westerners would come across as exotic, evoking the Middle East or India - and herein is were I think Kouros has earned it's "bad boy" rep; it's foreign-smelling, unexpected, and not the least bit apologetic about it. That said, I don't think I could sport a decent spritz of this without becoming a tad ill from it; the lingering base is actually quite pleasant - warm yet maintaining its exotic flair - but the drydown period for me features other notes that are too pungent for my taste. Of course, I couldn't stand Islay malts when I first tried them, and later became quite their champion; so it is I may come back to this one day and find I've acquired an appreciation for it. But for now, I'm leaving it be.

My first week with this and I am leaning towards not likeing it. My first spray with it and I remember likeing it, but wearing it for the whole day gave me a really bad impression the top notes smell like what most people keep saying, that is a public toilet after it has been cleaned with chemicals, the drydown is what I like but what I dislike the most about Kouros is the base I just don't like the BO smell that reminds me of the Toilet.

My husband used to wear this when we were dating in the early-mid 80's and I LOVED it on him! Some powerfully sexy stuff! After we married and I was pregnant, he wore it again and I was sicker than a dog from the smell! So, this neutral rating is essentially a combination of love & hate. After reading the 45 previous comments I can honestly say each remark is accurate!!! This is one scent you'll just have to try for yourself.

A bit of an antique really. Still spicies up the mood....but not for everone

Regardless of whether or not a person actually enjoys inhaling Kouros, it's a difficult proposition not to hold a certain degree of respect for this deadly potion.

Far from ruining the scent, the pissy-fecal undertow is what makes Kouros so transfixing. It's problem rests in its overall resemblance to a particular type of institutional urinal cake. I can't say for sure whether this is due to actual olfactory overlap with the cakes themselves or merely the confluence of pungent deodorants and "bathroom smells."

Whatever the case, the whole sacred-profane flip-flop routine is tough to ignore. Do your cubicle mates a favour and leave this one for after midnight.

This really doesn't work on me unless I skip showering. The top notes give me a headache, but my patience is rewarded with an awesome incense drydown. It smells really perverted along the way. I'm still trying to find an appropriate way to wear this one. As a fragrance, it's extremely bold and impressive, but there are few situations where I can make use of it. The eucalyptus helps me go to sleep.

i have it but am unable to use it oftenly i still couldn't get it

While the top notes of this scent start off ok while still being very bold, less than 5 minutes later it starts smelling like the fresheners put in urinals. No kidding. Some people like it because it is so different and sticks out so much (people 5 feet away can smell it). While I wouldnt recomend this to people who like to smell clean or to people with small dogs (this smell may scare them) it is still a classic that all should at least look at. But please, dont just go out and buy it. Go to a store where you can test it first. Yet, for all of this there is still a quality that makes me want to give it another chance over and over again. Maybe I just don't learn of maybe there is actually something appealing about this cologne.

Oh, how I wish got some of the wild results with Kouros that the other reviewers do! I bought it un-sniffed after seeing all the fuss about it. I love sexy, controversial scents and figured this would be the grand-daddy based on the reveiws. On me, Kouros smells like a freshly printed photo crossed with dryer sheets. I get none of the incense, musk, vanilla, herbs, or animal notes mentioned-- just ink and fabric softener. Oddly enough, I always have women sniffing me down and complimenting it, but can never smell it on my skin after an hour. Hpmh? Well, I still wear it once in awhile just to see what happens.

A very strong, masculine but slightly old fashioned scent which is strong enough to knock out a football crowd! A frangrance only for brave men.