Fragrance comparison

Carnelian vs Kouros

Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.

Updated 15 Oct 2026 8,596 ratings analysed

Carnelian

Vartan Perfumes

4.3312 votes

Rank #45,883 Warm SpicyAmber

Full profile Similar & dupes

20%scent match

Clearly different

3 wins

Kouros

Yves Saint Laurent

3.618,584 votes

Rank #1,426 MuskyAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kouros takes 3 of 5 categories.

Carnelian
Choose it for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear.
Kouros
Choose it for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Carnelian2/5

Kouros3/5

Ratings & consensus: Carnelian
Community sentiment: Not scored
Longevity: Kouros
Sillage & projection: Kouros
Value for money: Carnelian
Versatility: Not scored
Note pyramid (duration): Not scored
Fragranxe ranking: Kouros

Head-to-head breakdown

Every category side by side, with the winner called out.

Fragrance

CarnelianVartan Perfumes

KourosYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.33/ 5 · 12 votes

Have 19%Had 0%Want 81%

3.61/ 5 · 8,584 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerCarnelianRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

33%Like

0%Ok

0%Dislike

8%Hate

12 votes · too few to score

40%Love

23%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

9%Hate

8,584 votes

Category winnerNot enough dataMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity74

〰 Sillage66

♥ Love / hate83

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityKouros

SillageKouros

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value100

¤ Price value58

Category winnerCarnelianBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

warm spicy100%

amber91%

cinnamon83%

aromatic74%

floral65%

vanilla56%

musky100%

animalic92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

leather61%

Scent match20%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = shared

Top15-30 mins

CinnamonBlack Pepper

Heart2-4 hrs

CarnationWhite TobaccoVetiver

Base6-8+ hrs

AmberVanillaTonka Bean

Top

AldehydesCorianderClary SageArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

PatchouliCarnationVetiverJasmineGeraniumOrris RootCinnamonLavender

Base

CivetMuskHoneyLeatherOakmossAmberTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesCinnamon, Carnation, Vetiver and Amber. Durations are only published for Carnelian, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring20

Summer20

Fall100

Winter100

Day44

Night100

Spring57

Summer36

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerNot enough dataMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men0

Unisex100

Women0

Date 35%Casual 28%Party 23%Work 15%

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#45,883

PerfumerKristen Vartan

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,426

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerKourosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Carnelian by Vartan Perfumes hits the skin with a vibrant rush of fiery cinnamon and cracked black pepper. The initial kick is dry and bristly, but it calms within minutes into a clove-like carnation heart wrapped in pale, leafy white tobacco. As the hours tick by, golden amber, creamy vanilla, and roasted tonka bean …

Reviews →

Yves Saint Laurent Kouros is a legendary aromatic fougere that balances squeaky clean freshness with a warm, gritty punch. Built around a striking contrast between fizzy aldehydes, sweet golden honey, and a notorious civet musk base, it smells like stepping out of a steaming hot shower after scrubbing with classic her…

Reviews →

InformationalRead bothTaste is personal

How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Carnelian or Kouros?

Kouros takes 3 of 5 categories. Carnelian is rated 4.33/5 from 12 votes; Kouros is rated 3.61/5 from 8,584 votes. Choose Carnelian for a warm spicy and amber character. Wins on ratings & consensus and value for money. Best in fall, evening wear. Choose Kouros for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and fragranxe ranking. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Carnelian or Kouros?

Kouros lasts longest (Kouros 85/100, Carnelian 74/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Carnelian or Kouros?

Kouros projects furthest (Kouros 79/100, Carnelian 66/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Carnelian and Kouros smell similar?

Clearly different: a 20% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Cinnamon, Carnation, Vetiver and Amber.

Is Carnelian or Kouros better for summer or winter?

Carnelian suits evening wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Carnelian and Kouros?

Carnelian has top notes of Cinnamon and Black Pepper, heart notes of Carnation, White Tobacco and Vetiver, a base of Amber, Vanilla and Tonka Bean. Kouros has top notes of Aldehydes, Coriander, Clary Sage and Artemisia, heart notes of Patchouli, Carnation, Vetiver and Jasmine, a base of Civet, Musk, Honey and Leather.