Body Kouros

I can hardly forgive myself for never trying this masterpiece... It was a Friday evening when I decided to pay a visit to a perfume store, to sample some perfumes, mainly to revisit some older releases and give a second chance to some recent ones. After a test of Burberry London (which I still don't like), the Bottega Veneta line (which I find really bad) and the La Nuit De L'Homme (which is nice, but that's all, just nice) there it was... placed really low on the selves of the YSL section, with a minimum stock of 2 boxes of new 100ml bottles, quite forgotten by most, waiting for me to give it a try. I don't know how this one has slipped out of my attention, I am a perfume enthusiastic since 1998, testing nearly all of the major releases - I had tried the original Kouros which I don't like at all - I get the hype but I can't stand it on me - so I guess everything related to it meant a waste of time for my olfactive experience. So I gave a spray on a piece of paper, placed it under my nose and ... BOOM! That was it. The BOOM effect that had happened only 10 times all these years, it is a really rare experience if you have in mind that - as I have already mention - I test nearly all of the major releases through those 20 years of fragrance hunting... and I can name those 10 times one by one! I immediately knew that this was going to be mine, so I sprayed it on me 2 times and gave it 10 seconds to dry a bit... and then I was sure that this was a MASTERPIECE that had to be mine. Just 5 minutes later I placed an online order and today I am holding my new bottle of Body Kouros in my hands! I don't love the bottle much, nor its box BUT the juice is just AMAZING. It feels like a lovechild of Le Male and Bvlgari Black, which I both own BUT it is quite different from both, so it makes sense having it. What truly makes me go crazy in love with this one is the fact that while being gourmand and sweet, it is super masculine, slightly 80s retro and it has style! Could easily be the JPG Ultra Male release as this one is so much more masculine that the real Ultra Male (I don't really believe that perfumes have gender but inevitably some scents tends us to think of women or men when we smell them). Longevity is close to 6 hours, silage is moderate and isn't getting bigger with more sprays, you should be careful not to overspray this one, it starts cloying if over applied. It is super cheap, even though it was priced at 83 euros as a retail price, I got it online for just 38 euros. I don't know if this is going to be discontinued but the distribution right now seems limited. So test it while this is available, if you love Le Male or Bvlgari Black you will be blown away. Follow my scent journey on instagram instagram.com/scentsexual

Reviewing my favourite fragrance ever! 2019 - 2022 Batch Reviewed. The batches in this year range are identical Although I take time off from this fragrance every now and then, I can't help but love this every time I smell it. It's one of the most interesting and amazing fragrances I have smelt. I have reviewed this before, and with my new found glory of an expanded fragrance knowledge and a better trained nose.. I have uncovered some things I didn't touch on in my last review. Which I will describe now! This opens up with a bright contrasting scent of hot and cold. It's sweet but spicy, Fresh but dark all at once and the balance of these element is phenomenal! You have a bright eucalyptus with a tiny amount of clary sage amongst camphor giving a cold menthol like freshness with a bit of greenery. And next to this is a contrasting element of incense and mace giving spicy hot accords. When these two elements mix together they create an almost steamy effect! It's such a strong smouldering freshness of spice. There is benzoin in here that gives both sides of the fragrance an amazing sweetness and enhances both the warmth and freshness of the blend. It's cloudy, steamy, hot, cold, sweet, green and somewhat medicinal. And when it dries down this composition becomes a more drier version of it's begging accords. The steamy cloud aspect turns a bit more powdery and dusty while still being aerated and smooth. The benzoin really takes over along with the incense and are the main players of this composition in the dry down. The mace is much more prevalent and gives a deep sensual spice with the benzoin and incense. And the eucalyptus and camphor combines with the cedar wood giving a cold green unusual woody essence. Every time I smell it I get something different, but it is mainly a sensual incense spicy woody scent with a resinous sweetness and green cold menthol essence. Definitely a sensual sexy scent, takes a very acquired taste to enjoy this fragrance in my opinion. I haven't met much people who like this! but I have met a few who love it! Not recommended for extreme hot weather or hot weather in general, though it is fresh like I said, there is still that contrasting spice snd warmth that won't do well in the heat. You will be like a walking eucalyptus and incense sauna Decently strong, though I'd love this to be a beastmode fragrance! Bottle is nice, simple enough and sprayer is great. Priced just right, I would expect to pay more since I find this to be in the same ballpark as some fragrances Dior and channel release, especially YSL's more expensive fragrances. for an average of $80 AUD it is a steal! Elegant, causal, sensual 11/10

There is something about this scent that I find exceptionally relaxing, comforting and appealing. I've got the newer bottle, so I assume I am working with the reformulation - but I can attest that if this is a weaker version of Body Kouros then the original must have been potent enough to fill an aircraft hangar., but more on that below Much like YSL Opium, this scent is bafflingly unique and so beautifully blended that I am not nearly as impressed by specific notes as I am knocked over by the collective statement of the scent. Also like Opium (and original Kouros for that matter), this strikes me as sufficiently polarizing that I don't know that I'd use this before facing mixed company. There is vanilla sweetness, and there's such a distinct light-touch musk that without the notes listed, I'd have sworn there was ambrette in it, but like I said the notes are so well blended that I have to assume this is the work of the incense notes - but you can't be sure just from smelling it. There is also a mild earthiness and deliciously subtle spiciness, but again - what notes are doing that? Your guess is as good as mine. Also (like Opium), I love... no LOVE this so much that I still tend to apply this at home, even (or perhaps especially) just for myself, when I'm the only one left awake and I'm watching a movie or reading a book on the couch. One of our dogs loves this on me so much it's a true challenge to stop her from licking it off me wherever it's been sprayed. This is legitimately strong stuff - just two sprays and my wife, still in the next room, mind you (I'm not kidding) - will ask me what I've just applied. I can't tell you when to wear this, because in all honestly I still haven't even come close to figuring that out - but based on the strength I'd say that cold weather is a pretty safe bet. But for me, when I want to wrap myself in an exotic late-night fog of sweet, lightly musky glory I will reach for this in the spring/summer, and Opium for the same purpose in the fall/winter. I also have to say that I'm not sure what relationship this bears with Kouros other than the name of the bottle. Perhaps this is what Kouros would be without the blast of civet, leather and aldehydes, and with resin replacing the florals and spice mixture - but at a certain point one must conclude that is is a Kouros flanker simply because so many people know the name of Kouros. By any name, I'd treasure this scent.

Body Kouros (2000) by Annick Ménardo had been on my radar for a while, especially given my appreciation for her Bvlgari Black (1998). I finally scored a brand new, sealed, early 2000s 50-ml bottle of the original formulation, for a mere $75. Very excited! The opening presents a bracing eucalyptus note, delivering a mentholated freshness up top. What’s unexpected here is that this initial burst is complemented by incense, which adds a smoky depth. (Keep in mind that this was a decade and a half before smoky fragrances became a staple of niche perfumery.) As the scent develops, it reveals a harmonious blend of contrasts. The transition from the fresh, almost medicinal top to a warm, ambery base is reminiscent of Yohji Homme (1999), another favorite in my collection. (Incidentally, Luca Turin claims in The Guide that Body Kouros was a “blatant ripoff” of Yohji Homme by Jean-Michel Duriez, likely because Ménardo was getting back at Duriez for copying elements of her own Lolita Lempicka for his Yohji. Industry gossip aside, the main point to me is that these are all wholly unconventional masterpieces. And they are different enough to not be redundant, in the least.) The interplay between the cool eucalyptus and the warmth of benzoin and camphor wood creates a dynamic olfactory trajectory. Somewhere between top and heart notes, a subtle rubbery nuance fleetingly brings to mind Bvlgari Black, which only adds an intriguing layer to the composition. The camphoraceous thread that weaves from the top notes through to the base provides a cohesive structure, with the camphor wood grounding the composition and adding a subtle smokiness that lingers beautifully on the skin. In terms of performance, BK offers impressive longevity and moderate sillage. I’ve only used it a couple of times, but I think it’d be a versatile choice for both day and evening wear, particularly in cooler weather. There’s this musky-ambery undercurrent that makes this scent unexpectedly sensuous... and I’m really digging it. Overall, BK stands as a testament to Annick Ménardo’s mastery in crafting scents that defy conventional categories, offering a fragrance that is both familiar and intriguingly novel. Just brilliant.

In the realm of men’s fragrances, this composition stands tall as an unusual and distinctive scent that leaves a lasting impression while smelling completely different from the original release. With its blend of aromatic eucalyptus notes and sensual benzoin and incense undertones, this fragrance embodied the essence of masculinity and elegance at the start of new millennia. TOP NOTES The composition opens with a burst of fresh and aromatic notes that will awaken all of your senses. The refreshing scent of eucalyptus emerges which does smell just a little bit medicinal, but not enough to make it an overkill. To my nose, it delivers a cooling and minty nuance that adds a unique twist and sets a dynamic tone for the fragrance. Completing the top notes is another harmonious accord of incense that increasingly takes center stage as the fragrance begins to dry down. HEART NOTES The heart notes gracefully unveil the fragrance’s enigmatic composition with the inclusion of another aromatic ingredient – the warm and aromatic clary sage. During this stage, the powdery facets of benzoin start to emerge, imparting an overall vanillic quality. The seamless interplay among these three main accords is truly remarkable, underscoring why such a composition wouldn’t be as effective if layered over the animalic musks found in the original Kouros. BASE NOTES When the fragrance enters its final stages, the rich and warm blend of benzoin becomes fully detectable, imparting a touch of sweetness and an intensified powdery and rubbery quality. This further enhances the overall richness of the base. It is truly remarkable how the perfumer was able to create such complexity and depth using just five different notes. The mintiness and smoky incense continue to play a prominent role in this stage, contributing to the fragrance’s distinctive character. OVERALL This YSL release is one such fragrance that holds a special place in my olfactory adventures. While I wouldn’t classify it as a masterpiece, it carries a nostalgic charm, reminding me of my early days exploring the world of perfumes. In my opinion, this is the best Kouros flanker so far. Read the full review at scentgrail.com