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Taming the Body Kouros

post #1 of 27
12/15/06 at 8:24am
Thread Starter 
Yikes, what is this stuff? This smells nothing like any of the descriptions I've read of it. Smokey? Woody? Animalic? "Not too sweet"? "Not as sweet as Pi"? "Like Bvlgari Black"??

You gotta be kidding!

This is obviously 100% hyperconcentrated cotton candy syrup dissolved into alcohol. It smells like a cloud of oven baked glucose cake. I can't believe it's a male fragrance. It reminds me of My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

I'm no machismo, I proudly walk around wearing a jasmine soliflore (Yasmin by Ayala Moriel) and I'm a fan of florals in general, but this is elementary school girls stuff for sure!

Even Joop! is more manly and less sweet! It is interesting how it's totally smooth and spiceless, but I don't think I can wear this stuff.

For a $15 blind buy, I'm not crying, but I am really surprised. Maybe there's something that can be layered on top of it to put some testicles in it? Maybe some Eau de Couilles de Bison?

Out of about 40 reviews on basenotes, there were only three or four that weren't positive and even those tended to say they liked it alot. Am I all alone out here? Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is it my fault? Am I bad? Do I need to replace my epidermis?
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post #2 of 27
12/15/06 at 8:58am
GOTCHA!!

All the members pulled together and made up a false description of Body Kouros just to throw you off, and now all our hard work has finally paid off!

But seriously, I consider this to be a very manly in a modern way...I can't detect a single thing about it that would be considered feminine.

Smooth benzoin and hot incense, rounded out with mace and eucalyptus. Mmmmmmm.

Even your criticisms made me want to smell it. If there is an elementary school where the girls are wearing this, I'm going to send my kids there.
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post #3 of 27
12/15/06 at 9:44am
Yes, you have been a very, very naughty boy!

but back to the perfume...

I too find YSL Body Kouros way too sweet to wear alone but I do still gt the similarity to Bulgari Black & L'Artisan Dzing. I think it needs a strong , dark note to temper the sweetness and have been considering layering it myself.

Personally, I have been unable to enjoy Bulgari Black since hubby likened it to 'sweaty ball sacs' when I asked his opinion one day. So I think I shall give the burnt rubber combos a miss. If it works on you, you could try layering it (1:2 or 3 ratio) with something like Demeter Tyre PMU spray. You would probaly end up with similar longevity to the original BB as well. You could also check out CB: I Hate Perfumes for a good rubber / tyre accord.

I prefer Dzing and have been wondering which dark leather EDT or cologne would work best with this. I am thinking Fendi Uomo or Aramis Classic at the moment but am worried that the 'fougere' elements in both will compromise the blend. What do you think? Can you suggest a good leather that may work? I would consider trying a CB: I Hate Perfumes leather accord (he has created a few) but I do not have the money or access to them. Also I do not want a fancy leather just for mixing - in fact I am thinking the coarser and more '80's powerhouse, the better. Do you agree?
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post #4 of 27
12/15/06 at 11:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR

Yikes, what is this stuff? This smells nothing like any of the descriptions I've read of it. Smokey? Woody? Animalic? "Not too sweet"? "Not as sweet as Pi"? "Like Bvlgari Black"??

You gotta be kidding!

This is obviously 100% hyperconcentrated cotton candy syrup dissolved into alcohol. It smells like a cloud of oven baked glucose cake. I can't believe it's a male fragrance. It reminds me of My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake dolls.

I'm no machismo, I proudly walk around wearing a jasmine soliflore (Yasmin by Ayala Moriel) and I'm a fan of florals in general, but this is elementary school girls stuff for sure!

Even Joop! is more manly and less sweet! It is interesting how it's totally smooth and spiceless, but I don't think I can wear this stuff.

For a $15 blind buy, I'm not crying, but I am really surprised. Maybe there's something that can be layered on top of it to put some testicles in it? Maybe some Eau de Couilles de Bison?

Out of about 40 reviews on basenotes, there were only three or four that weren't positive and even those tended to say they liked it alot. Am I all alone out here? Is there something I'm doing wrong? Is it my fault? Am I bad? Do I need to replace my epidermis?

Reminds of the guy who said Le Mâle was super-girly. Are you sure your BK is legit? The descriptions you cite are exactly, precisely what I would say about BK. If BK is girly, what is Jaipur then?

I might get BK once my bottle of Le Mâle is finished (which may take a looong time... hope it's still around then).
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post #5 of 27
12/15/06 at 1:11pm
  • kbe
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I picked up a 50ml Kouros at an Albertson's Super Market pharmacy section today for $22 and change. I was in a 'blind buy" state of mind. I opened it in my vehicle in the parking lot when I was getting ready to leave and pumped one smallish spray out onto the back of my left hand.

WHOA! It is powerful stuff, very sugary out of the blocks IMO, as many of the reviews indicate. I did get the impression immediately of a more feminine leaning but in just a couple of minutes, and during my 20 minute drive home, more masculine aromas appeared as I continued to sniff my left hand.

It has been about 3 hours now since I first put it on and it has nicely mellowed out into the Basenotes description of 'incense' at drydown. This is one scent I think I will control amount by applying with a plastic dip applicator rather than a mist from an atomizer.

If I were going to layer something else to add a touch more testosterone, for me a small streak of Aramis Havana for Men is in order nearby and let's just see what might develop. In fact, I think I will do that tonight with a new (easy does it) application of Kouros.
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post #6 of 27
12/15/06 at 1:13pm
Thread Starter 
I don't remember what le Male smells like, and maybe this is a fake, but it came in box, in cellophane with a price tag peeled off.

I also think GIvenchy Pi is very girly, though I like it better.

I like Jaipur, doesn't seem girly at all. WHen I spray the Body Kouros it smells alot more balanced, but within a minute it's just baked sugar puffs.
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post #7 of 27
12/15/06 at 1:47pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kbe

I picked up a 50ml Kouros at an Albertson's Super Market pharmacy section today for $22 and change. I was in a 'blind buy" state of mind. I opened it in my vehicle in the parking lot when I was getting ready to leave and pumped one smallish spray out onto the back of my left hand.

WHOA! It is powerful stuff, very sugary out of the blocks IMO, as many of the reviews indicate. I did get the impression immediately of a more feminine leaning but in just a couple of minutes, and during my 20 minute drive home, more masculine aromas appeared as I continued to sniff my left hand.

It has been about 3 hours now since I first put it on and it has nicely mellowed out into the Basenotes description of 'incense' at drydown. This is one scent I think I will control amount by applying with a plastic dip applicator rather than a mist from an atomizer.

If I were going to layer something else to add a touch more testosterone, for me a small streak of Aramis Havana for Men is in order nearby and let's just see what might develop. In fact, I think I will do that tonight with a new (easy does it) application of Kouros.

The thread is about Body Kouros, are you talking about that or the original K? If the latter, boy I don't know how you could add more testosterone to that.
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post #8 of 27
12/15/06 at 2:05pm
So you like it, then!

To answer your question, yes, you're correct, you're all alone in the vast existential void.

--I Sing the Body Electric Kouros--
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post #9 of 27
12/15/06 at 2:13pm
  • kbe
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fakepurseninja

The thread is about Body Kouros, are you talking about that or the original K? If the latter, boy I don't know how you could add more testosterone to that.

Dayum! Right you are fakepurseninja... I misread the original thread as Kouros and not Body Kouros, but....too late! Havana/Kouros already strategically applied and I am already getting urges to watch WWF 24/7 and jump the nearest skyscraper in a single bound.
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post #10 of 27
12/15/06 at 2:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by kbe

Dayum! Right you are fakepurseninja... I misread the original thread as Kouros and not Body Kouros, but....too late! Havana/Kouros already strategically applied and I am already getting urges to watch WWF 24/7 and jump the nearest skyscraper in a single bound.

Oh god, oh god. I'll pray for you. And those melting in the masculinity exuded by those two scents.
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post #11 of 27
12/15/06 at 3:10pm
You aren't alone. I hated it when I got mine quickly traded it for Dreamer. The Benzoin & Eucalyptus notes make it real awkward and unpleasant.
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post #12 of 27
12/15/06 at 8:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cognoscento

To answer your question, yes, you're correct, you're all alone in the vast existential void.

All alone in the howling, rags-of-wind, God-is-dead, Sysiphean abyss smelling of My Little Pony.

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post #13 of 27
12/16/06 at 1:55am
  • Ged
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Yes it is very sweet and sugary. Usually I dislike sweet frags, but there's something about this one that I really love. I think the eucalypt freshens it, and the incense gives it power. Also, I've smelled it on myself and others after some hours, and it doesn't smell like it does if you sniff it up close on your wrist. It's actually quite gentle, but has great longevity - another plus.

A bargain IMO!
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post #14 of 27
12/16/06 at 6:44am
Thread Starter 
Hey Moondeva - I can't comment with much intelligence because the only fragrance you mentioned that I'm familliar with is Bulgari black - and no I don't think it smells anything like sweaty scrotes, though I also don' t see them mixing well. I might try it anyways, just casue you metnioned it.

Leather might be a good idea, I was also thinking a little mild spice. Maybe Drakkar Noir? I tried mixing it with Xeryus Rouge - but either I would only smell the Rouge or the Kouros - whichever I put last!

Incidentally, my brother just tried it and he said - "all I smell is cotton candy! This is like pure sugar!"



Quote:
Originally Posted by moondeva

Yes, you have been a very, very naughty boy!

but back to the perfume...

I too find YSL Body Kouros way too sweet to wear alone but I do still gt the similarity to Bulgari Black & L'Artisan Dzing. I think it needs a strong , dark note to temper the sweetness and have been considering layering it myself.

Personally, I have been unable to enjoy Bulgari Black since hubby likened it to 'sweaty ball sacs' when I asked his opinion one day. So I think I shall give the burnt rubber combos a miss. If it works on you, you could try layering it (1:2 or 3 ratio) with something like Demeter Tyre PMU spray. You would probaly end up with similar longevity to the original BB as well. You could also check out CB: I Hate Perfumes for a good rubber / tyre accord.

I prefer Dzing and have been wondering which dark leather EDT or cologne would work best with this. I am thinking Fendi Uomo or Aramis Classic at the moment but am worried that the 'fougere' elements in both will compromise the blend. What do you think? Can you suggest a good leather that may work? I would consider trying a CB: I Hate Perfumes leather accord (he has created a few) but I do not have the money or access to them. Also I do not want a fancy leather just for mixing - in fact I am thinking the coarser and more '80's powerhouse, the better. Do you agree?
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post #15 of 27
12/16/06 at 8:19am
I bought it blind and was totally nonplussed with it for a year or so. I didn't know what to make of it. However, one day I decided I liked it - a lot - after all.
Renato
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post #16 of 27
12/16/06 at 9:59am
The first time I bought Body Kouros I got rid of it because I couldn't stand the eucalyptus note in it. Recently, I bought a used tester from a store for only $1.75. It seemed that the scent was a little off, and as a result the eucalyptus is barely present. I actually like it now.
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post #17 of 27
12/16/06 at 10:44am
Guys you know what I find it to be too sweet as well for my tastes too girly.....It smells like someone baking cookies using a cedar baking sheet, in a horse barn (hay)......but the cookie part on mine is very profound and too sweet for my liking anyone want to swap?;-)
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post #18 of 27
12/16/06 at 9:51pm
Masculine or feminin
sweet or bitter
smoky or sweaty
..it makes no differnce to me as long as it makes me & who surronds me happy.

'Body' is a great fragrance ..it has that wonderful relaxing, soothing & sexy sensation..& compliments are gaurantied with it, & whenever I was asked about what i am wearing, I always answer proudly :

" it is my BODY " .
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post #19 of 27
12/17/06 at 6:48pm
Thread Starter 
Well after a few days, I find it more tolerable, but still too sweet. It last awhile but fades to a very faint level very very quickly. Once it fades it becomes a lot nicer.

But when it comes to layering, I found the solution - Body Kouros + Jardin Sur Le Nil! One is very sweet, the other very bitter. Makes for a very nice blend. I'm sure Jean Paul Ellena and Yves St Laurent would be horrified!
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post #20 of 27
12/17/06 at 7:39pm
STRONG~SWEET~ANIMALIC~LONG LASTING...yup that's the ticket!

Unfortunately, not for me. I swapped this without second thought.

On the other hand, if you want something tamer, try Bulgari Black. Smells similar, but not persistent as BK. The air definitely moves around BB. Same nose created it I believe.
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post #21 of 27
12/17/06 at 8:04pm
Thread Starter 
That's funny I don't smell much resemblence to Bulgari Black. Bulgari for me is all about the rubber/motherboard packing foam note. Body Kouros is Cotton Candy.
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post #22 of 27
12/17/06 at 8:17pm
I smell the rubber note in BB, but I don't smell its persistence on my skin to make me think I'm smelling just rubber--kinda like that tar note in Angel.

BB to me is definitely BK without the gallon of animalic candy glazing. They both have that smoky sweet woodsy quality, just on opposite sides of the extremes in terms of ferocity.
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post #23 of 27
12/17/06 at 9:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR

..

But when it comes to layering, I found the solution - Body Kouros + Jardin Sur Le Nil! One is very sweet, the other very bitter. Makes for a very nice blend. I'm sure Jean Paul Ellena and Yves St Laurent would be horrified!

since you have mentioned layering , I love to add a few spritz of Le Male by JPG or the body moistrizer from the bath line of Le Male before applying my BODY & then comes my last ritual, I add a few drops of pure OUD oil on my skin with above combination -I reccomend 'Shams' by AJMAL-.. it makes me glow.
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post #24 of 27
12/18/06 at 2:18am
I am sampling a wee spritz of Body Kouros with a strong leather, Fendi Uomo. Nice combo but not earth shaking - I think I prefer the Fendi alone.

I have realised something though - Body Kouros is the type of scent that would work very well on a smoker, or when worn in a smoky atmosphere (like a pub, bar or nightclub). For that reason I think Body Kouros would probably turn into something quite delicious when layered with a very dry smoky wood blend or with a cologne that featured tobacco.

I would be quite interested to hear, of those that find Body Kouros easily wearable in its pure state, which are smokers and / or work and socialise in smoky environments...

I am now considering layering my Body Kouros with:

Aramis Havana pour elle
Lagerfeld Classic
Guerlain Vetiver Eau Glacee
Michael Kors Michael For Men
Serge Luten Fumerie Turque
YSL Kouros
Clinique Aromatics Elixir
Lancome Balafre

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post #25 of 27
12/18/06 at 10:25am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by tariq

since you have mentioned layering , I love to add a few spritz of Le Male by JPG or the body moistrizer from the bath line of Le Male before applying my BODY & then comes my last ritual, I add a few drops of pure OUD oil on my skin with above combination -I reccomend 'Shams' by AJMAL-.. it makes me glow.

That is a highly specialized and advanced fragrance routine!

Man, this Body Kouros/Jardin Sur Le Nil Combo is a real killer! I'm finding it to be a perfect balance. The Nil stands out the most, but it's given a soft sweet aura to it, which I think it needs anyways.
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post #26 of 27
12/18/06 at 9:27pm
I must try your blind GAIVS IVLIVS CAESAR soon, can't wait..
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post #27 of 27
1/1/07 at 6:55pm
Thread Starter 
So it looks like Body Kouros is really good for layering. I guess becayse it's such a basey mellow type of fragrance.

So far it goes well with:

Jardin Sur le Nil
Givenchy Pi
Bvlgari Black
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