YSL KOUROS: The Complete Set Review

1981: Kouros
1986: Kouros Eau de Sport Attachment 507
1993: Kouros Fraicheur
2002: Kouros Eau D'Ete
2003: Kouros Cologne Sport Attachment 511
2004: Kouros Cologne Sport Eau D'Ete
2005: Kouros Eau D'Ete
2006: Kouros Eau D'Ete
2007: Kouros Tattoo Collector
2008: Kouros Energizing Tonique
200?: Kouros Plein Air Bracing Body Splash Attachment 546


The Complete Set family Portrait
Attachment 591


The 'blue' bottles
Attachment 578


So a while back, I decided to track and collect YSL's Kouros and all its flankers, all 11 versions! My goal is to satisfy the curiosity that I have developed as a fragrance lover. I want to get into the heads of the perfumers, and see exactly what it is they were thinking when the flankers were produced. Was it art of the perfumer at work? Or was it marketing driven by greed?

I will be updating this thread as the bottles show up in the mail. I will be comparing the juices to the original (one of my personal holy grails) Kouros EdT, launched in 1981.

Today I recieved one of the "summer" iterations of Kouros. According to my research, it is the 2005 version. (If any one knows for sure, please reference the picture and let me know.) A somewhat rare find, I couldn't wait to sniff the juice. I was instantly kouros-satisfied, the bright, fresh, clean yet dirty combination has never failed to make me happy. Then suddenly, it hit me. Kouros Summer '05 smells EXACTLY like Kouros Cologne Sport! Now there are BARELY perceivable differences between the two: the summer Kouros smells a notch sweeter in the mid notes and dry down. Other than that, it's the same juice. I was dissapointed, but I do love the juice.

So, I am going to label Kouros Eau d'Ete Summer 2005 a marketing gimmick. If you already have Kouros Cologne Sport, there is absolutely no need for this Summer (2005) version in your collection. If I had a choice between the two, the summer 2005 wins, since it is slightly sweeter and sticks around a bit longer.

28 FEB 09: Kouros Eau de Sport
Attachment 507
I found the elusive Kouros Eau de Sport
I found it on eBay and I waited patiently to win the auction. I got the bottle in the mail yesterday. I wanted to write about it right away, but I know I must give it it due justice and wear it for a full day. And, boy do I LOVE this stuff! It smells...exactly like Kouros EdT Well, almost exactly.

I haven't found a fragrance that smells like Kouros but better...unitl now (though I have heard CREED's Orange Spice is close). Eau de Sport is Kouros EdT with far better ingridients, if slightly weaker concentration (hardly noticeable). Kouros has a synthetic or dull vibe to it to my nose, at least that was the conclusion I came to after smelling Eau de Sport. It still has the urine note, but it all comes across as a natural oils and spices version. But it is not the least bit off-putting like the original. In fact you want to keep sniffing (18 sprays so far! I better conserve it).

Not a gimmick at all, and can't understand why it was discontinued Kouros EdT should have been replaced by Eau de Sport. Now there is one caveat, two actually. My 'control' Kouros EdT is a fairly recent version: latest bottle. I have seen at least 3 different bottles (the location of the words eau de toilette are in different places), I will procure all the different Kouros EdT just to make sure there isn't a reformulation in there somewhere. I also bought another Kouros Eau de Sport, a mini, just to compare it to the Eau de Sport I just acquired.
Verdict: Eau de Sport *IS* the king of the Kouros line. For now.

01 MAR 09: Kouros Cologne Sport VS Kouros Cologne Sport Eau D'Ete
Attachment 511
I smapled KCS after sampling the original Kouros, and I fell in love with it instantly. It really is a sporty take on the Kouros concept: fresh, clean and dirty, but not as serious or "shirt/tie" as the original. It is without a doubt deserving of the Kouros name. The Eau D'Ete version does an excellent job of following the Kouros concept as well. It is fresh, clean and with that dirty edge, but it is NOT a lighter or weaker version of KCS. Instead, it is almost a stand alone scent, replacing the dark citrusy vibe in KCS with a sweeter mandarin note, plus what appears to be woods to my nose. It does share a few things with KCS, but not enough to be a summer version. I actually don't get the "summer" part, I consider the original more summery. So, I would certainly recommend KCS Eau D'Ete, it is a great fragrance that is different enough from the regular KCS. So much so that I would label it KCS 2. No gimmick here for sure, KCS Eau D'Ete is simply yet another Kouros worth sampling, if not having.

13 MAR 09: Kouros Eau D'Ete 2002
Attachment 578
I have been gone for a while for work. I am back now, and was pleasantly surprised by a package of free samples from Czech and Speake (register on their website and get free samples!). I also recieved the first summer Kouros. I eagerly awaited something delicious yet summery, while maintaining the wonderful Kouros EdT theme. Unfortunately, Kouros Eau D'Ete 2002, is nothing but the same EXACT juice as the Kouros Summer 2005 I posted earlier, itself just a colored version of the infamous Kouros Cologne Sport. Yes, all three smell exactly the same. I am dissapointed to see that this is nothing but a marketing gimmick...no genius, just pure trickery. Three DIFFERENT bottles, different release years, SAME EXACT juice. YSL, I am OFFICIALLY mad at you. Somehow, I am still in love with Kouros and the Sport and Summer variations. So don't waste your money. see picture for bottle reference and comparison.

26 MAR 09: Kouros Tattoo Collector, Energizing EdT
Attachment 578
My first encounter with this was early last year. Simply put, Tattoo (so called because it comes with a set of temp tattoos) is a kinder, gentler version of the original. It is weaker too, requiring about 3 times as much spraying to achieve the same effect as the original. The dirty 'urine' note is significantly pulled back, almost undetectable. What's left is the basic sweet smelling side of Kouros, a feat accomplished by a somewhat heavy dose of calone (high grade non the less). The end product is a light summery breezy frag with a clear connection to Kouros. I think it is almost impossible to dislike this, unless you live in that part of the world where the basic Kouros scent was utilized as a bathroom cleaner/freshener line of products scent. Genius at work here for sure...not everyone can stomach the no holds barred nature of Kouros; but even the most weak-stomached nose can stand (and love) Tattoo.

10 APR 09: Kouros Plein Air Bracing Body Splash
Attachment 546
It's been a while, work has been taking its toll again. Anyway, this is the TOP SECRET Kouros I promised. I couldn't believe my eyes when I spotted it myself. So I bought it, and here is what I found: A thick blue liquid with the scent of Kouros. The accompanying literature reads:
To get the body ready for action: Bracing Body Splash. Invigorating and stimulating, it gives a lively sensation of freshness and leaves the body lightly fragranced at the same time...it goes on and on. The scent is the same as the original with one significant difference: the infamous urine note lives here. It has more of said urinous note than any other Kouros I know. It last quite a while too and projects nicely without suffocating everyone around you. It is rare, but available on the net. I like it.
Genius? maybe. I mean its just like a aftershave balm, but it is marketed as a body bracer. And the Plein Air moniker...just in case you need a reason to buy it. So I wouldn't necessary call it genius, but then it's not quite a marketing ploy either, it does do what it is advertised to do.

11 APR 09: Kouros EdT Energizing/Tonique
Attachment 578
This is essentially the summer version for 2008. The bottle reads: Eau de Toilette Tonique/Energizing Eau de Toilette. This is exactly what it says on the Tattoo Edition bottle, which was released in 2007 as the summer version of 2007. It is no surprise then that the juice is exactly the same, a softer, less perfumy, more sweeter, less powerful version of the original. So far all the summer versions have been the same juice as the previous year. Starting in 2002 thru 2005, they all smell like the Kouros Cologne Sport. I am still waiting for the Summer 2006, so I am not sure if it will smell like KCS or the original, like the 2007/8. There is a tiny bit of difference from year to year in stregnth and sweetness, but really the differences are like comparing Diet Coke to Coke Zero.
So I wouldn't say this 2007/8 versions are gimmicks, since there was some honesty in the labelling. I can't wait to compare them to the Kouros Fraicheur, which is supposed to be the kinder, gentler Kouros, a description that fits these energizing edt versions.

23 APR 09: Kouros Eau D'Ete Summer 2006
Attachment 578
I searched long and hard for this, there were only a few ( like 3!) and the sellers wanted major bucks. So I yielded to the high prices and bought one. Sad to say nothing special...it is the same juice as all the other Kouros Eau D'Ete branded bottles, which if you read above, you'll see I mentioned these are just clones of the Kouros Cologne Sport. So far, we have the Summer 02, Kouros Cologne Sport, Summer 05 & Summer 06, all with the same juice albeit variations that are very hard to tell. Verdict: Another gimmick...but at least the bottle reads exactly the same as the 2005 version. The issue is why put it in a new (misleading) bottle? Watch out for Kouros Fraicheur, coming very soon.

05 MAY 09: Kouros Fraicheur

Finally, the complete Kouros review is coming to an end. I recieved my bottle of Fraicheur a few days ago, and I have been rocking it relentlessly. You know, when I started this review, the point was NOT to unseat the original Kouros, but with Fraicheur, just like with Eau de Sport, the original must take a back seat. I wore the two back to back and the difference is glaring: Fraicheur is better than the original, no questions about it. Hard to tell the difference in the opening, but the genius soon shines thru. The original comes off harsh and too perfumey, whereas fraicheur has just the right dose of everything...except for that signature urinous note. It isn't totally absent, just hardly there at all. It is replaced with a sensuos aura with a green tinge, more like a whiff of the urinating device than the urine itself . Fraicheur was hard to find, but very well worth it.

Rankings:
First place - (tie) Eau de Sport & Fraicheur
Second place - Cologne Sport (and all the summer varieties that smell like it)
Third place - Cologne Sport Eau d'Ete
Fourth place - Tattoo (and the energizing toniques)

Thanks for the support, I am glad you guys find it useful and cool.

Indie_Guy, I have the translucent Eau d'Ete (2002 version) coming soon. I will be glad to send you a sample of it as well as the Eau de Sport. I have tried the Tattoo edition and I certainly like the Eau de Sport better. I think you will too.

Next up: Cologne Sport VS Cologne Sport Eau d'Ete

Yep I would have bought it from you. I wish there was a better way to list availalbe items for sale, you know, maybe to be able to see who has a particular item for sale when you read the reviews...

I second Cerberus...there is a significant enough difference between the 2 as mentioned in the update.

Grant,
As discussed above, is it possible to see who is offering and possibly desiring a paticular fragrance when the said fragrance is reviewed or the reviews are being read? I know you are super busy, but I am sure this will facilitate sales.
For example, at the end of each review page, there are links to sellers on eBay and other sites...why not have a "BN Sales" link that lists members with that item for sale? I would rather buy from BNers first, mutual support kinda thing you know?

ellis17, very true and very well said.

Sometimes however, you find true gems that are the result of a daring perfumer or just a stroke of genius at that point in time. I think the Kouros Cologne Sport comes close in this regards. La Cologne Fleur du Male versus Fleur du Male is yet another example.


Thanks Inselaffe, glad you find it useful! I hope others will do as you mentioned.

OK, we are close to the end. I am awaiting 3 more Kouros flankers: Fraicheur, Summer 2006 and the 2008 Energizing Tonique, which is the summer iteration. I will be providing the reviews as soon as I get them, and will take a picture of the entire Kouros line for your reference.

Meanwhile, enjoy!

Another update...
matthewfoo, I think the flankers do deserve a second chance, especially since you are a Kouros fan. At least now, I hope you will know which one to go for.

...yes I have, why do you ask? I use it sometimes before applying KCS...I am guessing you want to comment about the concentration of urine note...it is very high in the KCS body gel for sure, highest for that particular scent, but for the original Kouros scent, the Plein Air has the highest concentration.


Thanks! Glad you find it helpful.


On my skin, it is about 5hrs. The 2008 Energizing Tonique is a bit stronger.

I don't consider Body Kouros as a legitimate member of the Kouros family. I know some might disagree, but I wanted to focus on variations on the original theme, and Body Kouros does not meet that criteria. YSL would agree with me (I think) hence the different bottle BK comes in.

d-vo, you are right, there is only one Tattoo edition, according to my research. If anyone can prove otherwise, please respond.

Got it, cool! And yes, the shower gel is a very good representation of the scent. That said, I would be careful with, (go lightly). There have been times that I did not even need to apply the cologne itself!

There is one more to go, the Fraicheur flanker...should be here anytime now. For now, enjoy the partial portrait above. PM me if you are still looking for a flanker, I have a few doubles...

Ok, this is finally done. Please PM me with questions or samples (decants).

Wow, it has been over a year, and what a roller-coaster of a year it has been for me.

I see I missed some questions here, my official appologies, but my job can be very demanding at times.

As discovolante points out in his signature, It is never too late to mend, so here I go/

@Kel..did not get a chance to see what version you weere reffering to. The link no longer works...but I am guessing it is the Energizing version. I did review that as well. You are welcom and I am glad you enjoyed the reviews.

@gupts...thanks for the bump!

@discovolante...I believe there were some travel sizes made but I have never seen the 30ml Fraicheur. Did you end up buying it?

@JBL, Hednic & KMF...thanks for your comments. Glad you find this all useful.

@Redneck Perfumisto... Eau de Sport is divine, but impossible to find. Fraicheur is the next best thing, but I am disgusted at the prices some sellers on eBay are asking. If you must have the original Kouros scent without so much civet then Summer 06 (first bottle ont he right in the blue bottles picture) is the way to go. Otherwise, Kouros Cologne Sport is citrus magic in a bottle. Perfect fo the heat.

@AromiErotici...please post your findings, I am curious.