Kouros Cologne Sport (2003)
by Yves Saint Laurent

A mysterious scent, but sadly misnamed. It should rather be called "The Enigma of the Hour" or "The Phantom of the Pharmacy" or even, quite simply, "Afterwards". Here we have the formidably earthy creature that is Kouros (honeyed milky sweetness interfused with sperm, sweat and goat's urine) taken past the halfway house that is Kouros Fraicheur and ultimately refined into a clean, subtle, serene and elusive being. A whisper of the original Kouros smell informs this fragrance, and its reserved, slightly medicinal yet warm aura might just possibly invite some sort of "sport cologne" connection, but its real essence lies elsewhere. I think it has best been captured by the review of the admirable Indie_Guy (see below) who says "It smelled somewhat 'funereal' and conjured up images of burial linens. Spooky ... Fresh and yet has hints of otherworldly dark things floating through it." A brilliant and poetic observation. Not so much death as decay in a Victorian churchyard (which, to my nose, Van Cleef & Arpels Pour Homme can sometimes suggest) but death in mysterious Egyptian dimensions - a space of eternal shadows. Not to everyone's taste, perhaps, but don't be alarmed into thinking that, if you wear this scent, you will be mistaken for one of the walking dead. (One could equally compose a narrative placing this fragrance in an 1890s Parisian salon, imagining it being worn by a slightly eccentric young dandy and also, perhaps, by his elderly aunts). I merely meant to suggest that it does capture a real sense of mystery - hence the connection with death as the ultimate enigma. Like the original Kouros, in its very different way, a bit of a masterpiece, and one equally likely to divide opinion.

25th November, 2011.

"Kouros Sport" which is to say "a lighter Kouros" which is to say "Kouros without its characteristic, infamous and controversial note" which is to say" Nicole Kidman after the plastic surgery" which is to say "not as fascinating as she used to be".

Overall this is a pretty decent/pleasant fragrance, but way too pale to mantain the mesmerizing power of the original version.

29th June, 2011. (Last Edited: 5th September, 2011.)

A plasticky futuristic version of Kouros, KCS is a good but inessential scent. This prunes away the notes that take Kouros from interesting to amazing.

Kouros is to Kouros Cologne Sport as Azzaro PH is to Onyx .

If you want a summer version of Kouros, try Kouros. If you like Kouros but find it too threatening you might like Cologne Sport.

29th May, 2011.

Gotta revise my opinion of this one. Hated it at first because it's fairly weak, doesn't last long, and smells nothing like the excellent Kouros, but after giving it a few wearings I've come to like it.

It's a weak, inoffensive scent for someone who hates weak scents. It's fresh and citrusy, but underneath it all is just a tiny bit of spice and skank to give it some appeal and remind you just a little bit of the original Kouros. Smells pretty good and it's easy to wear; it's a good choice for an atmosphere where people are sensitive to fragrance.

Still not as good as the real thing but it's nice, I approve. I get much better longevity out of it if I spray it under my shirt. If you want a lighter version of special K, try to hunt down the tragically discontinued Kouros Fraicheur, but if you're interested in a "light / fresh" scent that doesn't smell like air conditioning, this is a pretty good choice.

19th March, 2011.

A very light version of the original. Kouros is there down below the layer of "fresh" notes. The fresh notes in this could not be interpreted as urinal puck-like as with the original. The tangerine citrus topnotes don't stick around long for me. Sillage is much less than the original, it wears pretty close to the skin. I could see this working in very hot, muggy weather when others would be too much.

Those who are interested in Kouros but who find it challenging to wear due to its strength or controversial notes will enjoy Kouros Cologne Sport. Those who really enjoy the original will likely find this too light and subdued as do I.

13rd June, 2010.

Quite unique modern fresh scent. Certainly retains elements of the original Kouros, but is a much closer cousin of the more dilute, contemporary Kouros Tattoo (i.e., a minty, citrus-y, ozonic and slightly ambery take on Kouros). While this still has the faintest whisper of nasty, it's fundamentally very clean-smelling and contemporary -- the civet is totally gone, the opening weirdness its of its granddaddy is gone, and the heavier heart and base notes (honey, clove, oakmoss, etc) are seriously toned down. However, the disappearance of the civet does make the musk attack a lot more apparent; this is one seriously musky scent, with a sharp edge that its close cousin Kouros Tattoo doesn't have. Theoretically an EDC, but powerful sillage and good longevity thanks to the musk. Very clever update of the original that sneakily abandons the macho late-70s baggage of its progenitor, while retaining its spirit. A slight dial-down of the musk would have made this one perfect. Nonetheless still very good and a wonderful and very distinctive summer juice.

2nd August, 2009.