Yves Saint Laurent Kouros Silver

Dear Perfume lovers, I've had the chance of smelling this fragrance 3 days ago at Schipol (Amsterdam airport) and to be honest I do not understand all this hate, specially defending that urinal cake chemical smelling fragrance of Kouros, (at least the new version). I am a big fan and lover of YSL fragrances, being Body Kouros my favourite of the line, then L'homme and la nuit ranges, all of them modern and contemporary, creating a new phase in the fragrance department for this house. Having said that, I can tell you that Kouros Silver is a very safe and good smelling fragrance! Starts quite spicy/apple smelling, for then turning to a combo of amber - creamy - apple in the dry down, it is very pleasant and long lasting, considering all of the crappy releases from designer houses these days (coloured water with no longevity) I can decidedly state that Kouros Silver is a winner! To me the final phase of the fragrance smells just like the opening of L'homme, with that nice creamy and fresh apple. Nothing ground breaking here for sure, but very nice indeed considering the changes in the industry in the last 10 years (saving money with cheap compositions to increase their revenues) If you are one of those snobby fragrance guys, appreciating complexity and uniqueness in a fragrance, stay away from this one. Kouros Silver for sure will not make you smell like a fart from Zeus, a garden of Eden, the urine of a starfish in the depths of the Aegean see, or a gourmet dish of indian food with some sushi on top (whatever that may smell) but it will for sure give you a comfort feeling of knowing that you smell pleasant, fresh and masculine. My advice is: try it! if you like it like me, buy at least 3 bottles before the greedy managers of this industry decide to reformulate it, as normally happens. After all is just a matter of time for a great scent with longevity to be reformulated to be then mass produced. 8/10 ***Update: After 2 weeks of use, I can fairly say that I really like it! projects very well, lasts more than 8 hours on my dry crappy skin, and smells delicious and masculine; is a very nice Woody/fruity combo with hints of incense/amber in the dry-down, I guess to make it last longer. Now that the weather is a bit warmer and the winter is almost gone ( central Europe), I can get more aromas in a different way than when I bought it. Try it!

TL;DR: Sweet and sweaty, Clary Sage-infused Ambroxan. ***On Kouros: This has much more to do with Kouros than the beloved Body Kouros. Let me explain: Go smell the current iteration of Kouros and remember it's 2019 and released by the same house. YEAH. This is a very timely flanker of Kouros. Most of you judge it by what it doesn't have: loads of aldehydes, índole, oakmoss, and civet. *** On the Essence: What it does have: a paired down representation following the concept of Kouros (Say what you will, the young virile sexuality is here). A sweaty and aromatic Clary Sage, the sweetness of the powdery vanilla nuances, the Amber (in the form of Ambroxan). All present in Kouros. This is a modern, stripped down Kouros. The main mistake was timing: released after Eros, One Million (and created by the same pair of perfumers), Invictus. It does feel like YSL was trying to chase a trend. The Invictus comparisons are not far off. I must say I don't love the apple opening too much, but after an hour it settles into a wonderful ambroxan and Clary Sage combo. It feels as if the apple was added, albeit grudgingly, by the perfumers to appeal to the masses at first whiff at the fragrance counter. They should have gone with a classic Bergamot or a more interesting Pineapple. But the beauty unfolds after the opening, nonetheless. It's long lasting and projects well. Beautiful after the first hour. I love this for the Clary Sage, which is not used often enough anymore and honestly those saying it's unoriginal because Eros used apple and all others now use Ambroxan - Clary sage is my response. I wish it were more prominent maybe. I bought this blind because of the sage note, as there was no tester. ***On "Cheap": It's a good scent. No, it does not smell cheap, and it is not actually cheaper than any other fragrance in the category. (If it does smell cheap, so do all the other designer releases from Versace, Giorgio Armani, Bottega Veneta, etc.). What it does smell like is fitting the times. It's 2019, consumer tastes have changed, and also...IFRA.

Okay this scent is Nice not much of a performer compared to YSL Y live but still it can hold a torch for itself. I don't get the hate its getting here, mostly its just people upset that this scent is not the body kouros and its not an older mans scent that's it. There is nothing niche here its a smell for the youthful modern man as simple as that. This has similarities in air to YSL Y Live the sweetness here and with Live is uncanny just that Live is a bit more herbaceous and has citrus and added freshness. So this smells sweet and rich. Smelling it right of the skin it does not smell impressive at all to be honest but the aroma it leaves in the air is really good like that of the YSL Live sweetness. I recommend spraying this on your clothes from a distance and on pulse points so that it can project from skin and from your clothes making it last longer. This does not smell anything like Eros except that its sweet, Eros has a creamy minty vanilla sweetness on the other hand the sweetness of Silver is that of green apple and high quality Ambroxan or amber balanced of with the strong herbaceous sage with just a slight woodsy feeling and it has a bit of an oily take like a quality perfume oil. This thing lasts long like for days on clothes and on skin it lasts around 6 hours and has got good Sillage for up to 5 hours. Projection is also good around 4-6 feet around the person for 4 hours. PS This smells very similar to Burberry Brit Rhythm Intense this one is a well made perfume giving silver a run for its money smelling high quality for the price with a well blended complex smell. Could be blind Buy for Sweet fruity warm scent lovers.

2 HRS IN... Ambery and woody notes for sure. With wafts of apple coming through. The apple was prominent in the top notes, and the sage came in quite quickly. When it does kick in, the apple is made milder and if you were to compare to something like Mont Blanc Legend Intense or Azzaro Silver Black/Onyx - it feels gentle and inviting. This is what I would wear in place of the L'eau D'Issey and Givenchy Blue Label and Plays because of how soft they are. This is much more fresh and energizing. Very pleasant to smell throughout the day and I'm sure my wife will like it. Not manly but not really any typical feminine nuances either. It's a great change from the leather vibe that is everywhere. To me, this does not fit in the L'Homme or Kouros line. I would almost label it something like Fraiche or Energize...(actually, this conjures a better done hugo energize bc it feels less synthetic and sour) A big like for me. Simple, pleasing to smell on yourself, sweet but not cloying, and light hearted - can dress it down or up if it's a signature. Wearing with a suit is passable; though considering the fall weather and near freezing temperatures; the projection is not loud. This would shine in spring and early summer/summer nights.

I have a feeling that this aroma only has so many dislikes based purely on the fact that it is what is termed a "flanker" - A perfume that is commercially riding the coat tails of a more famous and reputable sibling in order to garner sales. The fact is that this scent bares absolutely no resemblance to its sibling Kouros and I feel that for that reason it's hated upon. If YSL had given it a totally different name and bottle then it would be more favourably tolerated I think. However for me - I love it - The silage is exceptional compared to scents that I own that cost more than 3-4 times as much. I get a sweet apple bubblegum note to start with that dies down after a while - There is no mistaking that this is a mainly "synthetic" concoction but it is not the kind that becomes ever so repugnant after a while. It lasts for DAYS on clothes! Even makes it through a wash and remains ever so slightly detectable! Bare in mind this is the Toilette I'm reviewing which is stronger than the cologne. I especially like its ability to mix well with a few other scents making something totally unique - try it with a pure vetiver or oud based scent ;)