Fragrance comparison

El vs Kouros

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

Updated 14 Nov 2026 8,748 ratings analysed

Arquiste

4.04164 votes

Rank #29,883 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

31%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Kouros

Yves Saint Laurent

3.618,584 votes

Rank #1,510 MuskyAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kouros takes 4 of 7 categories.

El
Choose it for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter.
Kouros
Choose it for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

El3/7

Kouros4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

ElArquiste

KourosYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.04/ 5 · 164 votes

Have 30%Had 7%Want 63%

3.61/ 5 · 8,584 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerElRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

47%Love

30%Like

5%Ok

16%Dislike

2%Hate

164 votes

40%Love

23%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

9%Hate

8,584 votes

Category winnerElMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity70

〰 Sillage63

♥ Love / hate76

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityKouros

SillageKouros

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value45

¤ Price value58

Category winnerKourosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

woody92%

fresh spicy84%

earthy77%

warm spicy69%

mossy61%

musky100%

animalic92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

leather61%

Scent match31%Clearly different · both aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Notes

OakmossCastoreumOrange BlossomClary SageCivetGeraniumVetiverHoneyCardamomPatchouliLaurelsRosemary

No top / heart / base split published

Top

AldehydesCorianderClary SageArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

PatchouliCarnationVetiverJasmineGeraniumOrris RootCinnamonLavender

Base

CivetMuskHoneyLeatherOakmossAmberTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesOakmoss, Clary Sage, Civet and Geranium. Note durations are not published for these fragrances, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring91

Summer45

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring57

Summer36

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerElMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men84

Unisex13

Women3

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#29,883

PerfumerRodrigo Flores-Roux

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,510

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerKourosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Arquiste El opens with a sharp flash of clary sage, rosemary, and bitter laurel leaves before deepening into a sweaty vintage heart. Rodrigo Flores-Roux built this 2016 release around raw oakmoss, earthy patchouli, and heavy animalic notes of castoreum and civet. A subtle streak of dark honey and cinnamon cuts through…

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.

Recent comparisons

Head-to-head activity from live history

BohemeSegreti di LuccaRUNNER-UP vs

Soir de LuneSisleyWINNER

1 person compared this today

Orange FlowerOscar de la RentaRUNNER-UP vs

Ti AmoRoja DoveWINNER

1 person compared this today

Eau de BruxellesLibertin Louison Technique IndiscreteRUNNER-UP vs

Private ClubJeanne ArthesWINNER

1 person compared this today

PatchouliJouriRUNNER-UP vs

al03biehl parfumkunstwerkeWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, El or Kouros?

Kouros takes 4 of 7 categories. El is rated 4.04/5 from 164 votes; Kouros is rated 3.61/5 from 8,584 votes. Choose El for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter. Choose Kouros for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, El or Kouros?

Kouros lasts longest (Kouros 85/100, El 70/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, El or Kouros?

Kouros projects furthest (Kouros 79/100, El 63/100), based on community performance votes.

Do El and Kouros smell similar?

Clearly different: a 31% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Oakmoss, Clary Sage, Civet and Geranium.

Is El or Kouros better for summer or winter?

For summer, El is the stronger pick. For winter, El is the stronger pick. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in El and Kouros?

El features Oakmoss, Castoreum, Orange Blossom, Clary Sage and Civet. 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.