YSL Kouros is a unique scent. It is possible to argue that its time has already passed, which may be true in many ways. However, my objective is not to evaluate the fame of a perfume but rather to share my experiences with it so that if you identify with it in any way, you will seek it out and spend your money on perfumes. You and I deserve nice things.
Before we get started, has YSL Kouros been discontinued? No. Yves Saint Laurent still produces Kouros, but its distribution varies by region. That is due to demand issues on one site versus another. Although I do not see it on the YSL USA website, it appears on other YSL sites, such as the one in Singapore, so if you wish to purchase it, shop around.
My Story With YSL Kouros
Four years into my fragrance journey, I became obsessed, to put it mildly, with discontinued and older fragrance formulations. Why? I don’t know, maybe I’m weird, but the point is this. Since the 2000s, the perfume industry has faced multiple restrictions on using natural and scarce ingredients. Numerous reasons are involved, and this is not a history book, so in short, dozens of perfumes were reformulated to remove these prohibited ingredients and replace them with synthetic versions.
What was the outcome of this experiment? Some fragrances continue to smell the same, others that no longer exist, and others where Kouros is said to lurk are nothing but ghosts of their former selves.
My first impression was that it was nothing special. There was a fresh, summery, and even familiar aroma to me. However, this was only the first impression. Within minutes, the smell of civet, essentially similar to the smell of urine, musk, and the ambergris note, began to emerge. These are aromas that are associated with private parts and toilet visits.
Pierre Bourdon, its creator, knew what he was doing. Appealing to our primal senses, this eau de toilette feels wrong, yet it smells so freaking good. smells
What does YSL Kouros smell like? Occasionally, I use my eighties bottle on hot days when I want to attract attention. After a while, the civet no longer smells like urine and becomes a soft aromatic scent, almost like an air freshener, which is suspicious because it smells familiar to you, but you have no idea why.
I admire this fragrance. In a way, it makes me feel like a charming man with something witty to say. It’s great.
Who Do I See Wearing YSL Kouros
Anyone really. It’s a totally androgynous scent, if you ask me, that could appeal to literally anyone. Whenever you use it, wear your outgoing personality, or there will be a weird discrepancy.
Is Kouros a summer fragrance? As far as I am concerned, it is, and I even selected it as one of the best summer colognes. What types of individuals do I see using Yves Saint Laurent Kouros? He is a man in his 30s who is confident and wants to portray himself as someone who knows what he wants even though what he wants may not be what he needs.
