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Yves Saint Laurent Kouros
Yves Saint Laurent

Kouros

Citrus
Fresh
Floral
Jasmine
White Floral
Iris
Green
EDT · 1981 · mens

Yves Saint Laurent's Kouros arrived in 1981 as a landmark fougère, arriving during an era when the house was defining masculine fragrance through bold, architectural compositions. It remains a cornerstone of the genre and a reference point for how to balance spice, florals, and animalic depth in a men's fragrance.

The opening hits with aldehydes and bright aromatics, bergamot and sage giving it a crisp entry before artemisia adds a slightly bitter, herbal edge. The heart is where Kouros reveals its complexity, with carnation and cinnamon providing warm spice while geranium, lavender, and jasmine create an unexpectedly floral core. The base anchors everything with a dense, animalic warmth from civet and musk, supported by leather, oakmoss, and vanilla-tonka sweetness that gives the composition a skin-scent intimacy.

Kouros works best for someone seeking a sophisticated fougère with real personality, not a safe everyday cologne. It's a cold-weather fragrance that benefits from layering and performs best on skin in the evening. The composition rewards those who appreciate vintage masculinity with aromatic depth. The Homesteader, The Romantic, and The Mystic.

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$63Best · 100ml
$8230d Avg
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Price Comparison1 retailers · updated daily
Size
Updated 595m ago
$62.95
at FragranceShop
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Price History · 100ml
Low
$63
Avg
$82
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$62.95
4 days tracked · 2026-04-23 – 2026-05-16
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Main Accordsreported by community
Citrus
22%
Fresh
66%
Floral
100%
Jasmine
23%
White Floral
23%
Iris
23%
Green
54%
Aromatic
90%
Aldehydic
80%
Woody
77%
Vetiver
23%
Patchouli
23%
Earthy
77%
Musky
70%
Powdery
67%
Amber
50%
Warm Spicy
55%
Spicy
60%
Vanilla
64%
Sweet
96%
Gourmand
64%
Leather
32%
Animalic
100%
Fragrance Notesbrand verified
Top · 0–30 min
Aldehydes
Aldehydes
The chemical family that created modern perfumery, aldehydes were first used prominently in Chanel N°5 (1921), adding a soapy, abstract, almost metallic sparkle that lifted the fragrance above anything previously possible. They don't smell like anything in nature; their effect is more textural than aromatic. Aldehydic fragrances feel luminous, sophisticated, and distinctly 20th century.
Artemisia
Artemisia
The wormwood family, artemisia adds a dry, herbal, slightly bitter greenness that evokes wild Mediterranean hillsides and ancient apothecaries. It's the botanical that gives absinthe its distinctive aura. In perfumery it grounds compositions in something honest and slightly difficult, which makes them feel more real.
Bergamot
Bergamot
A sun-ripened Italian citrus with a brightness that goes beyond lemon, simultaneously tart, floral, and slightly spicy. It's the defining note of Earl Grey tea and the backbone of countless fresh colognes. Perfumers love it as an opener because it lifts the entire composition without overpowering what follows.
Clary Sage
Clary Sage
Dry, slightly fruity, and intensely herbal, clary sage has a warm, tea-like quality with faintly floral and nutty facets. It's the more sophisticated sibling of regular sage, used in Eau Sauvage and countless classic masculines for its clean, Mediterranean character. Simultaneously natural and refined.
Coriander
Coriander
Warm, spicy, and faintly citrusy, coriander seed smells quite different from the green herb, with a dry, woody warmth and a slight floral quality. It adds a spiced, slightly exotic character to masculine fragrances without the sharpness of pepper or the sweetness of vanilla. A supporting spice note that adds complexity.
Heart · 30 min – 3 hrs
Carnation
Carnation
Spicy, clove-like, and slightly powdery, carnation is one of perfumery's oldest floral notes, with a warm, almost peppery character that distinguishes it from softer flowers. It has a vintage, slightly old-fashioned quality that is coming back into fashion. Think pressed flowers in an old book, warm and complex.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon
Sweet, warm, and instantly comforting, cinnamon bark has a familiar warmth that slides easily into oriental and gourmand fragrances. Used sparingly it adds a pleasant warmth; used heavily it can dominate. It has a slightly sharp, peppery facet alongside its sweetness that keeps it from being purely foodie.
Geranium
Geranium
Green, rosy, and slightly minty, geranium is one of perfumery's most useful ingredients, sitting at the intersection of floral, herbal, and green families. Rose geranium adds a natural, slightly ragged freshness to rose accords that synthetic rose can't match. It grounds floral compositions in something earthy and real.
Jasmine
Jasmine
Intoxicating, heady, and slightly animalic, jasmine is one of the few flowers that smells as rich in a bottle as it does climbing a garden wall at dusk. It has an almost fleshy, indolic quality that stops it reading as purely 'clean.' Jasmine is a workhorse in both feminine and masculine perfumery, adding depth and soul.
Lavender
Lavender
One of perfumery's most essential and beloved notes, clean, herbal, and slightly sweet with a calming, familiar quality that works in almost any context. Lavender is simultaneously the most versatile and the most human of ingredients: it appears in barbershop colognes, romantic florals, and sophisticated orientals alike. A note that simply works.
Orris Root
Orris Root
Patchouli
Patchouli
Dense, earthy, and darkly sweet, patchouli is the scent of damp soil and dried herbs with an almost chocolatey richness. It polarizes people because in high concentrations it's overwhelming, but as a supporting note it adds depth and longevity that almost nothing else can match. The backbone of countless oriental and chypre fragrances.
Vetiver
Vetiver
Earthy, smoky, and complex, vetiver root is extracted from a grass native to India and has a scent that is simultaneously rooty, woody, and slightly lemony. It's one of perfumery's great base notes: tenacious, unisex, and endlessly adaptable. A fragrance built around vetiver feels grounded and deeply confident.
Base · 3–12 hrs
Amber
Amber
A warm, resinous accord rather than a single ingredient, amber is typically built from labdanum, benzoin, and vanilla to create a rich, honeyed, almost solar warmth. It's the quintessential base-note family, adding a comforting richness that makes fragrances feel complete. The difference between a fragrance feeling cold and feeling alive.
Civet
Civet
An animalic note with a raw, musky, slightly fecal quality that might sound unappealing but adds extraordinary depth and sensuality in small amounts. Natural civet is no longer used (it was obtained unethically); modern substitutes are kinder but similarly provocative. A hallmark of classic Chanel and Guerlain fragrances.
Honey
Honey
Sweet, waxy, and faintly animalic, honey in perfumery has an almost skin-like quality, intimate and slightly raw. It's related to beeswax in the natural world, and both add a warmth that reads as close and personal. Honey bridges floral and oriental families, adding natural sweetness with a slightly dark edge.
Leather
Leather
One of perfumery's most complex accords, smoky, animalic, and slightly woody, evoking tanned hide, polished saddles, or fine gloves depending on the recipe. Leather adds sophistication and edge simultaneously, and is deeply associated with masculinity in Western perfumery (though the best leather fragrances transcend gender entirely).
Musk
Musk
The base layer of almost every modern fragrance, a soft, warm, skin-like scent that extends longevity and bridges other notes together. Natural musk was once derived from deer (now banned); today's musks are synthetic and range from clean and soapy to dark and animalic. The right musk makes a fragrance smell like 'you.'
Oakmoss
Oakmoss
The defining ingredient of classic chypre perfumery, damp, forest-floor earthy with a faint bitterness and incredible complexity. Real oakmoss is now heavily restricted by IFRA regulations, which is why vintage chypres smell so different from modern ones. When present, it creates a raw, outdoorsy anchor that no synthetic fully replicates.
Tonka Bean
Tonka Bean
Sweet, powdery, and almond-like with hay-like, slightly tobacco undertones, tonka bean is one of perfumery's most useful base notes. It shares coumarin with fresh hay and freshly cut grass, adding a warmth that feels nostalgic and comforting. Essential in gourmand and soft oriental fragrances.
Vanilla
Vanilla
Warm, sweet, and universally appealing, vanilla is to fragrance what salt is to cooking. Real vanilla is complex and slightly smoky, though most perfumery vanilla is synthetic and reads as clean, sweet, and creamy. It slows the evaporation of other notes and is the reason certain fragrances feel like a second skin.
Who Wears ThisScent DNA matches
🏡
The HomesteaderBest match84% match
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.

Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.

❤️
The Romantic84% match
Your fragrance is a love letter you never stop writing.

Warm roses, vanilla, amber, creamy musks. Soft, evolving, intimate.

🌙
The Mystic81% match
You wear what others can't place — and that's exactly the point.

Warm incense, dry resins, airy woods, smoke with softness. Never obvious.

Based on this fragrance's accord profile · Find your Scent DNA →
Community
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Rate this fragrance
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Most Popular with this Scent DNA Type?
🏡
The Homesteader
Rooted, warm, and entirely self-sufficient.
Warm skin musks, sandalwood, soft cedar, clean vetiver. Grounding, intimate, unhurried.
Discover your type →
Scent Profile
Citrus22%Fresh66%Floral100%Jasmine23%White Floral23%
Fragrance Family
Fougère
EDT
Decants Available
2
listings in stock
5ml$3.36/ml10ml$2.28/ml

Yves Saint Laurent Kouros— Prices, Coupons & Buying Guide

Best price today: Kouros is $62.95. Without a coupon the lowest price is $62.95. Gush tracks 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.

Are grey market retailers authentic?

Yes. Jomashop, FragranceNet, and MaxAroma sell 100% authentic Yves Saint Laurent fragrances through unofficial distribution channels. The fragrance is identical to department store stock. Grey market refers to the supply chain, not product quality. The price difference comes entirely from the distribution channel.

Frequently asked questions

Cheapest price for Yves Saint Laurent Kouros? +
$62.95 at FragranceShop. Gush compares 47+ retailers updated every 2 hours.
What does Yves Saint Laurent Kouros smell like? +
Yves Saint Laurent's Kouros arrived in 1981 as a landmark fougère, arriving during an era when the house was defining masculine fragrance through bold, architectural compositions. It remains a cornerstone of the genre and a reference point for how to balance spice, florals, and animalic depth in a men's fragrance. The opening hits with aldehydes and bright aromatics, bergamot and sage giving it a crisp entry before artemisia adds a slightly bitter, herbal edge. The heart is where Kouros reveals its complexity, with carnation and cinnamon providing warm spice while geranium, lavender, and jasmine create an unexpectedly floral core. The base anchors everything with a dense, animalic warmth from civet and musk, supported by leather, oakmoss, and vanilla-tonka sweetness that gives the composition a skin-scent intimacy. Kouros works best for someone seeking a sophisticated fougère with real personality, not a safe everyday cologne. It's a cold-weather fragrance that benefits from layering and performs best on skin in the evening. The composition rewards those who appreciate vintage masculinity with aromatic depth. The Homesteader, The Romantic, and The Mystic.
What are the notes in Yves Saint Laurent Kouros? +
Top: Aldehydes, Artemisia, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Coriander. Heart: Carnation, Cinnamon, Geranium, Jasmine, Lavender, Orris Root, Patchouli, Vetiver. Base: Amber, Civet, Honey, Leather, Musk, Oakmoss, Tonka Bean, Vanilla.
What fragrance family is Kouros? +
Yves Saint Laurent Kouros belongs to the Fougère fragrance family. It is an EDT.
What is a grey market fragrance retailer? +
Grey market retailers sell authentic fragrances sourced through unofficial distribution -- typically excess inventory from authorized distributors. The product is real and identical to retail. FragranceNet (est. 1997), Jomashop, and MaxAroma are well-established with millions of verified reviews.

Gush earns a commission on purchases at no cost to you · Prices update every 2 hours · Coupon success rates based on affiliate feed data · Grey market = authentic, unofficial supply chain