
ah, the mythical beast - kouros the korruptor.
this is a superb and unique fragrance that has taken a lot more flak than it deserves.
yes, it is strong.
yes, it is unique. and like all of the "80s powerhouse" scents it has a distinct identity. it is utterly different from other 80s powerhouse scents like Boss, Antaeus, Quorum, Obsession, etc.
yes, it has a distinct "animalic" and somewhat erotic character. this is entirely to the strong dose of civet - aka cat gonad extract (although produced synthetically these days)
and yes, in spite of this it does actually smell fresh in a very unique way all its own. no aquatic or ozonic cliches here.
and yes... i am afraid there are distinct similarities to the dreaded urinal cake smell. but you really need to get to a particular stage in the drydown to get this smell. the initial blast is strong, spicy and fresh; it is once this subsides and the civet note comes to the fore that the ammoniacal / fecal note gives it a touch of the "UC smell". for those of you who continue to resist this theory, sniff the sprayer of your Kouros bottle. the nozzle will have accumulated a lot of the oils resident in the solution - including the civet, which lingers long after the other ingredients have faded. now tell me this doesn't have an element of the UC smell. but it is not the _same_ as the UC smell.
however:
no, it does not smell like _piss_ and certainly not like semen(guilt by association? perhaps someone will suggest next that it smells like pubic hair?) but it does have a warm, sensual, vaguely fecal / body odor quality that is more erotic than disgusting.
no, it is not an "old man" scent. i am 36 and wear it fairly often without a twinge of self-consciousness. it has aged far better than many of its contemporaries. and as with so many scents that people love to pigeonhole -- if you wear anything with confidence and bend it to your persona, it will take on YOUR character rather than the other way round.
to those of you who are petrified of walking around smelling like a piss stall or a cat in heat - chill out. this is a unique, marvellous scent, and its outrageousness is wildly exaggerated. if you don't give this one a shot and take it for what it is, without preconceptions, you're denying yourself a wonderful olfactory pleasure.
i find that kouros wears equally well in both hot and cold weather.
congrats YSL on a daring and unique scent that is thoroughly deserving of its success.