A Z: Kouros circa 2010 version vs current reformulation

A brief overview of this legendary fragrance from Yves Saint Laurent.
This video will compare today's version with a 2010 "Silver shouldered" bottle I recently acquired. Kouros is a great scent and definitely one that should not be overlooked because of it's age and reputation.
I'd like to know what versions you have or tried and how they work for you.

[@balesjo]

I wore the original formulation back in the mid-late 80s and there was nothing that remotely smelled like a public bathroom or urinal cake (as I've seen it described). I always found it an extremely sexy fragrance but not once that you applied just before going out. It generally was hitting the best notes starting about 2 hours after application. There was nothing like waking up the next morning to the very faint scent of Kouros on the pillow. My latest bottle is from the early 2000s and it's not quite up to the original formulation. Think it might have been a reduced citrus note. Definitely a scent for the evening, not to the office. And yes, a spritz behind the ears, a bit on the center of the chest, and a bit on the wrist pulse points was enough.

[@johnc7214]

Being Greek, Kouros reminds me of the old school Greeks from the 80s. This for me gets full marks especially for its nostalgic value.

[@jhors7777]

Thank you for posting this, I always enjoy your videos.

[@gene2049]

Great review. Appreciate the comparison between the old and the new.

[@IndyTroy]

What a find. I bought a vintage bottle recently, and it is surprisingly wearable given the reputation it has. My husband is crazy about it, which surprised me. I pick up the civet, but he didn't at all. I gave it a good 5 sprays before work one day and said a quick prayer. My office neighbor is my most sensitive colleague. She said she smelled me when I was unlocking my door but also said she liked it. Called it soapy, which is a side to it, I think. I love it. I could almost see early 20th century Gurrlain coming out with this. Kouros and I have had many wonderful days together since, and it's loyal until the end of the day in the form of a warm bubble that reaches just a couple of feet beyond the skin. Thanks for the review! Great take.

[@robwhiff3411]

h this is and very interesting compositions and sure to have followers for years to come , great take Pep ☺..

[@TheScentinel]

Rob Whiff thanks Rob

[@sergs9455]

Yaasss! I owned this one and very familiar with it. This was a beast mode bottle, had to go easy on the spays and always complimented.

[@TheScentinel]

+Serg S took me too long to try this.

[@badhabitz69]

Kouros. The King. Vintage Formulation. 2 sprays. One on the back of neck. One on the chest. Perfect for Summer nights. Winning.......

[@wilsonfontesneto]

Adorei sua resenha! Comprei um de 2003! Logo irei usar .

[@TheScentinel]

🙏

[@MrIbBeier]

I totally agree with You!!! I happened to get a 2006 bottle, as well as a brand new one.....Its lost something, unfortunately. And Im not an expert, but for many days, I would spritz on arm with vintage and and another arm with the new one...Had a girl friend, who definitely better liked the vintage....she says the new is fine, but for the first 30 minutes smells bad...whereas the vintage smells good also in the beginning. SUCH A SHAME I think.

[@balesjo]

Before bed I decided to try a spritz of the early 2000s bottle I have as it had been a while since I had an occasion to use it. This time, fresh on the skin, I did notice the "soiled" smell which lingered around about five minutes. I guess as it evaporated away it lost some of the foul undertones and was closer to what I remembered from the vintage bottle I had in the 80s to early 90s. Still something a bit off in the reformulation. Wish I'd kept the original bottle after it was essentially empty as a scent reminder, I know a scent can remain unchanged inside a bottle for decades. Back in the mid-80s, I was in an Art Deco collector. At a flea market outside of Little Rock, AR, , in a beat-up old box under an outdoor table, I found an original ship-shaped metal sculpture with a glass bottle & stopper in the shape of the famous Art Deco ocean liner, the "Normandie". On the outside, molded lettering indicated it contained Jean Patou's fragrance "Normandie". Turns out these bottles were commissioned for the inaugural sailing of the liner and placed in the cabins/suites of first class passengers. So here was this old perfume bottle and the glass stopper was in tight. Bought it and took it home & worked on it until the stopper was able to be lifted out. There was still the quite enchanting fragrance of the perfume even after 60+ years. I keep it tightly stoppered and will on rare occasions allow someone a quick sniff. I figure if "Normandie" lasted that long sealed when "empty", the original revision of Kouros could have done the same.

[@derfdswed]

I was scared to try it based on the descriptions of pissy notes, "urinal cakes" etc but I ended up buying it this week. I thought it was really unpleasant the first time I sprayed it but the harsh animalic notes don't last and the drydown is amazing. I think the trick is that one spray under the shirt should be enough...if you overspray this stuff becomes too much....My first YSL was L'Homme this is way better than L'Homme or any of the modern stuff.

[@kateaye3506]

It used to be a battle between Jazz and Kouros. I remember guys having fights over which YSL was better!

[@TheScentinel]

Kate Apted i was Jazz all the way.

[@MultiMrMiles]

yup- the 80s decade, just totally awesome, so many good stuff, i always stole this in early 80s when staying at my girls house, her father a classy guy had this and i always sneaked some...lol! i onlu use some 70s and total 80s scents...all other is boring and empty imo

[@nenadcar4949]

Jazz is very good,but...

[@oceansoflorewi]

The battle is still real- I ordered a vintage Kouros on ebay and dude sent me a vintage Jazz! Like really??? Seller made a statement.

[@jorvikoutdoors]

Great review..I've worn this on and off since 1989...it kept it's nice musky scent until very recently...the new scent is slot less appealing to me...atb Lee

[@DS-wv1nl]

My dad wore this all the way from the mid 1980’s all the way to the early 2000’s. It was definitely his signature. He wears Bleu de Chanel

[@kaossi]

i have now a 2022 bottle and a decant of a vintage kouros, cant tell which year but i guess 2000s (had the silver metallic bottle design, got it by kindly asking a saleswoman and she filled up some for me). the older version is deeper and not as bright in the opening as the new one. it has some kind of animalic undertone (nothing strong but its noticeable after some time) the newer one for me is more based upon the cleanliness and oldschool soapiness. opens much cleaner and brighter and i cant detect any animalic tone in the new one.

[@kantakouzini]

I've the same 2000's silver shouldered bottle. i dont care what many have said about the 'urinal cake' thing. it's because so many are used to these , frankly, cheaper smells that revolve around sweeter notes and especially in the current age where body sprays from the drug store are common - they seem to be dying out since i was in high school 5 years ago - (thank god!) but i love Κουρος all the way. as someone who also burns incense and makes Kyphi it gives off a wonderful deep sweet woody, resinous herbal scent that i find satisfying. that being said - many people dont like burning incense or complex smells and i think thats why they find it off putting. its a very masculine scent that some wont respond to - oh well.

[@davin2002]

You know, i was on the nay party the first time, but now trying it again a second time; it really smells nice. I think it really has to do with the amount used, and also how it is applied.

[@thomasdupreez7294]

Nice video,I know you did a review on Body Kouros but which one would you recommend ?Are they both versatile?Sorry for all the questions but I am planning on buying one of these and have smelled both but haven't spend time wearing them at all.

[@TheScentinel]

+Tommo Du Preez hey Tommo. I would recommend both as they are both pretty different. At this point in time i'd say the original is a more interesting acent to me, but i quite like the incense in the Body Kouros. Overall i find original maybe a bit more versatile, but Body Kouros a slightly safer, more refined scent. My opinion. If you can try them first, do it.

[@nirvanaofmonkasar1107]

is that a Panerai?

[@tonyjax8454]

This was Creed Orange Spice until Yves Saint Laurent thought "hey y'know, let's hire Pierre Bourdon & get him to recreate his Creed Orange Spice and we'll sell it at a quarter of the price!" Its actually better than Creeds Orange spice, and to be honest, the new formulation is a lot better than the old formulations because the old formulation used to scare the horses if over applied, the new one won't 👍😉

[@EM-km8em]

Tony Jax Creed started in the late 80’s so Kouros came out first. Creeds History is pure marketing

[@patrickbateman4541]

@@EM-km8em Even the 1950 release is bogus? Pierre bourdon apparently made GIT.

[@jonduke3919]

He’s a cool trick if u don’t already know. Use ground coffee” dry of course “about a tablespoon in a cup maybe a little more.smell after u have sniffed ur cologne, and u can go to the next Cologne, and will smell fresh.

[@mariussauer-mf3rh]

Actually thats not how receptors work.. it will just add more noise to it.

[@toddsmith9978]

Good on ya Pep..I must admit I've never ever heard anybody say that a fragrance smell pissie ..Next time I go to my local department store I'll try Kouros again and see if I too can pick up on the pissie smell you speak of ..All the best Pep...

[@benchampion3768]

Omg vintage Kouros is heavenly. Truly one of the best fragrances of all time. Imo the new formulation is a travesty. For me this and Givenchy Gentleman are two of the main scents I know where the reformulations bother me and I really notice the difference. The vintages of these are animalic holy grails.

[@TheScentinel]

Ben Champion thanks. i need to try the Givenchy.

[@amitavapurkayastha4514]

Kouros is the Scent of the God,s. It,s so addictive. Just Mesmerizing. It is a BEAST. There is no smell that is so addictive as Kouros.

[@nirvanaofmonkasar1107]

the King.

[@3ofus135]

I have the 2013 Kouros and it's disappointing compared to 80's Kouros. I've read that the last reformulation that smelled close to vintage is from 1999-2003.

[@kshitizkharal5318]

Do your 2010 bottle has batch on the back of the bottle or anywhere on bottle?? Please reply me

[@TheScentinel]

I don't own it anymore, but i used the batch code on the box at the time to look up the year

[@kshitizkharal5318]

@@TheScentinel sir recently purchased 5 bottles of kouros batch code 3286 , PPR' Gucci Lable, Neuilly Cedex France. It has silver top and bottom and batch code is written on the box but not on the bottle. I'm scared if it's fake because batch code is not on the bottle but the box and bottle has very proper finishing.

[@TheScentinel]

@@kshitizkharal5318 do you like how it smells?

[@kshitizkharal5318]

@@TheScentinel yes I smelled it and I very 2017 bottle also. This vintage bottle is less citrusy and civet note is there, its very different than 2017, in 2017 bottle citrus is so strong, loud opening and projects good . But the vintage one I bought is lighter, not loud and after 4 to 5 hours it becomes a skin scent but in starting it gives itchy feeling to my nose.

[@MakingMoneyTv-mu8hr]

KING KOUROS is for the SHEPHERD only and is NOT not for the sheep. I have worn this LEGEND since the 1981 launch and still wear it today. I’ve spent £thousands on different fragrances over the years but the TRUTH never lies and I ALWAYS come back to KING Kouros. Tip: Buy from BOOTS (only) because it’s virtually the same as the original mind blow 80s version, just gotta shake each time before use to keep all the notes mixed properly! Then it smells absolutely amazing on the opening! and then its projection/performance/longevity/dry down is also absolutely gorgeous!...... it’s known as KING KOUROS for a reason. It’s also the ULTIMATE women panty dropper TRUST ME! 10/10.

[@BAR-ct7ti]

Boots.com?

[@BAR-ct7ti]

What does the bottle look like? Does it have the silver or white shoulders?

[@MakingMoneyTv-mu8hr]

Yes Boots.com

[@drewanstore5550]

They don’t sell any magical throwback version at Boots, they sell the same current formulation as anyone else. Duh.

[@kshitizkharal5318]

Today I got 2013 batch 3286 and its completed different compare to my 2017 bottle... my 2017 bottle is much more potent I'm terms of projection, very spicy but very hard to find civet note. 2013 bottle has more civet and it is not as spicy as 2017 bottle. Please sir let me know do your 2010 bottle has batch on the bottom of bottle or it's just on the box?? My 2013 bottle doesn't has code on the bottom of the bottle but on the box and my 2017 bottle has batch code on bottle and box both.

[@patrickbateman4541]

It might be etched into the back of the bottle if viewed at an angle towards bright lights. That's how my 2005 is. 5KAG etched onto the back of the bottle.

[@kshitizkharal5318]

@@patrickbateman4541 I find it on another bottle not on the one I'm talking about.

[@patrickbateman4541]

@@kshitizkharal5318 maybe your particular bottle just happens to not have one

[@3ofus135]

I also have 2013 Kouros and 2017 Kouros. The 2013 version is much better, imo.

[@pishetshotisak1379]

​@@3ofus135 Completely agree. Have you managed to find anytging comparable to 2013?

[@rafiqueiqbal8473]

Kamal great parfum hum ne pore zindgi main 100 se zida parfum aur aur thra ke lagi hn lekin jo Koreas hi aur koi ni good

[@RichMitch]

What does it say on the bottom mate

[@TheScentinel]

Of the bottle? No idea now, sold it over a year ago.

[@RichMitch]

@@TheScentinel oh no! Why? I've got 2 vintage ones. Love it. Have you acquired much recently

[@TheScentinel]

@@RichMitch wasn't feeling it, and as i am not a collector i would prefer it in tbe hands of someone eho appreciated it. If i am being honest, i like the current formulation a bit more.

[@RichMitch]

@@TheScentinel I think about the nature of what I do with perfumes. I definitely collect them but I also definitely use them. When I get an unopened, vintage bottle I open it! Spray it and wear it. I also intend to protect and keep for as long as possible. I also sell what I dont like. Its complicated 😂 How are you btw

[@TheScentinel]

@@RichMitch i'm good my friend. Hope you are well.

[@perfumedangle6600]

Jazz hands!!👐

[@rafiqueiqbal8473]

Wah wah kamal good very nice parfum korus

[@monteirowladmir8499]

i love KOUROS

[@nickfanzo]

The skankier the better

[@rabbit7able792]

Hi bud I have 1983 1998 1999 2001 2006 and the best is the 83 you can smell the wee and tons of the honey.

[@azrevelations7849]

Wb 99

[@marceloaraujo8728]

t o p

[@babylonreviews9827]

I love it but others saying that i smell like an old man

[@3ofus135]

If an old man wears a bubble gum unisex fragrance, does it still smell like an old man?

[@TonySingh-ym3yq]

You have to show the bottom of the bottle for us to see the sticker...

[@ripvisitor]

why would you talk about it now ...

[@TheScentinel]

You know this video is 5 years old? Also, why wouldn't i?

[@voith2234]

Any Kouros produced after 2000 is not Kouros. The original formula produced in the years 81-99 is amazing ! This is something completely different.

[@Mysticlees]

Wrong, anybody reading this.. Don't listen to this guy. Any Kuoros with the silver shoulder and silver bottom border is still very good. I would say anything past 2005 is neutered.

[@JustinHight-py2sw]

No,it's more like any after 2005 or 2006. Any silver shoulders is still good. But the newer silver shoulders like Gucci is not as good as parfums corps and Charles of the Rits.

[@JustinHight-py2sw]

​​@@Mysticleesyou are correct. It's basically just white shoulders we want to stay away from. But the later silver shoulders by Gucci are still not as good as parfums corps and Charles of the rits.but definitely still better than white shoulders

[@DickTurpinEsq]

It was a beautiful scent; I wore it between 1993-1998.

[@johnpaterson4680]

Why have they ruined kouros why why why

[@clapforboobies5892]

Smells like a urinal cake

[@patrickbateman4541]

Gorgeous urinal cake.