Body Kouros Yves Saint Laurent

Body Kouros unfolds as a deliberately austere fragrance, one that seems to have deliberately rejected conventional sensuality in favour of architectural clarity. Annick Ménardo's construction prioritises the interplay between cool, resinous elements and warming spice—eucalyptus and frankincense create an opening that feels almost medicinal in its brightness, before the heart's Chinese cedar and mace introduce a peppery sharpness that prevents any drift toward softness. This is not a fragrance that coddles; rather, it presents itself as a cerebral exercise in minimalism.

The amber and benzoin base provides sweetness, but it's the camphor wood that ultimately commands attention—a woody-smoky dryness that transforms what could have been a conventional amber composition into something genuinely distinctive. There's a quality of burnt herbs and temple incense here, with the spice accord threading through like smoke curling through cool air. The sweetness never becomes gourmand; instead, it exists as a counterpoint to the composition's inherent austerity.