Yves Saint Laurent 1981 EDT

M ££ Acquired

Kouros

by Pierre Bourdon

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Yves Saint Laurent Kouros is an Eau de Toilette launched in 1981, created by Pierre Bourdon. Kouros opens with Bergamot, Coriander, Clary Sage, and Artemisia, settles into a heart of Vetiver, Patchouli, Jasmine, and Iris, and dries down to a base of Musk, Leather, Amber, and Oakmoss. Yves Saint Laurent's Kouros carries an Acquired verdict, a green-led wear.

Kouros is a divisive legend that pulls no punches: animalic, musky, and unapologetically masculine, it wears like a feral white marble statue. The ultimate statement for those who crave power, complexity, and vintage bravado.
What our verdicts mean →
  • Bold
  • Mysterious
  • Classic
  • Confident
  • Sophisticated
£57.35 at Perfume Click 50ml Check prices ↓
Kouros Eau de Toilette bottle

Scent Profile

Composition

Timeline

Showing: Overall Blend

Top, heart and base are the brand's own listing, not a timing claim - the industry classifies a note by its character as much as by how fast it fades. Each curve here is modelled from that material's own volatility, so groups can overlap when a house lists long-lasting materials in its heart.

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Performance & Mood

Performance

Longevity
Beast (10+h)
Projection
Strong
Intensity
Potent

Mood

Mood Energising
Calming
Character Playful
Serious
Sentiment Uplifting
Brooding

When To Wear

Best Seasons

Best For:
Fall Winter
Also Works:
Spring

Kouros is a powerhouse with heavy animalic, musky and spicy notes that suit colder weather, giving it a dominant presence in fall and winter. Its intensity can overwhelm in the summer heat but works well in the transitional and cooler months.

Best Occasions

Best For:
Formal
Also Works:
Date

This is a bold, commanding fragrance best suited for formal occasions or evening wear when you want to make a statement. Its assertiveness and projection can be too much for the office or casual/sporty settings.

Declarable allergens

We derive these from the materials behind this fragrance's notes, not from the bottle. Each one is likely, not confirmed. The list is partial - the box can name others.

In standard patch-test panels

Other declarable allergens

  • Bergamot Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Peel Oil from Bergamot
  • Lavender Lavandula Hybrida Oil from Lavender
  • Rose geranium Pelargonium Graveolens Oil from Geranium
  • Synthetic musk Hexamethylindanopyran from Musk
  • Vanillin from Vanilla

The large name is the everyday one. The small name is the INCI form on the box, so you can compare the two. Reactions differ between people. A patch-test panel is not a ranking of risk. How we derive this

About

Kouros Eau de Toilette is a monumental masculine chypre that opens with bracing aldehydes, aromatic herbs, and a metallic, soapy freshness. The heart reveals a dense tapestry of florals, clove, and patchouli, evolving into an infamous base of civet, honey, oakmoss, leather, and musk. Its duality of clean, powdery soap and animalic funk is both sacred and primal-a paradox of polished marble and untamed skin. Kouros is infamous for its nuclear longevity and sillage, never subtle, always daring, and forever etching its mythic aura in the air.

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Compare & Pair

Layer

Wear two at once. See what layers well with Kouros Eau de Toilette - the blends worth trying, and how each one scores.

Complement

Round out the rotation. See what complements Kouros Eau de Toilette - fragrances that pair with it, worn side by side.

Where to buy

Prices for the United Kingdom · · checked 7 October

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Drawn from community reviews and editor-reviewed before publishing on . See our methodology and disclosure policy.