Fragrance comparison

Fougere Royale vs Kouros

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

Updated 9 Oct 2026 8,691 ratings analysed

Fougere Royale

Houbigant

4.28107 votes

Rank #25,421 AromaticVanilla

Full profile Similar & dupes

27%scent match

Clearly different

4 wins

Kouros

Yves Saint Laurent

3.618,584 votes

Rank #1,411 MuskyAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Kouros takes 4 of 7 categories.

Fougere Royale
Choose it for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Kouros
Choose it for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Fougere Royale3/7

Kouros4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

Fougere RoyaleHoubigant

KourosYves Saint Laurent

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

4.28/ 5 · 107 votes

Have 18%Had 5%Want 77%

3.61/ 5 · 8,584 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

Category winnerFougere RoyaleRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

58%Love

27%Like

2%Ok

11%Dislike

2%Hate

107 votes

40%Love

23%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

9%Hate

8,584 votes

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity59

〰 Sillage65

♥ Love / hate82

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate65

Category winners

LongevityKouros

SillageKouros

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value50

¤ Price value58

Category winnerKourosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

aromatic100%

vanilla92%

fresh spicy84%

floral77%

sweet69%

lavender61%

musky100%

animalic92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

leather61%

Scent match27%Clearly different · both aromatic

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top15-30 mins

LavenderBergamotClary Sage

Heart2-4 hrs

GeraniumHeliotropeCarnationOrchidRose

Base6-8 hrs

OakmossCoumarinTonka BeanVanillaMusk

Top

AldehydesCorianderClary SageArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

PatchouliCarnationVetiverJasmineGeraniumOrris RootCinnamonLavender

Base

CivetMuskHoneyLeatherOakmossAmberTonka BeanVanilla

InformationalShared notesLavender, Bergamot, Clary Sage and Geranium. Durations are only published for Fougere Royale, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring100

Summer41

Fall73

Winter45

Day100

Night64

Spring57

Summer36

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Category winnerFougere RoyaleMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men67

Unisex19

Women14

Work 43%Casual 33%Date 18%Party 8%

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#25,421

PerfumerPaul Parquet

Launched—

Reviews0

Overall rank#1,411

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews209

Category winnerKourosHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

Fougere Royale by Houbigant is the historical blueprint for masculine barbershop perfumery. The first spray punches through with bright bergamot and dry French lavender. It bites slightly. Within fifteen minutes, the herbal sting relaxes into geranium and warm clary sage. Sweet coumarin, tonka bean, and earthy oakmoss…

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, Fougere Royale or Kouros?

Kouros takes 4 of 7 categories. Fougere Royale is rated 4.28/5 from 107 votes; Kouros is rated 3.61/5 from 8,584 votes. Choose Fougere Royale for a aromatic and vanilla character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear. Choose Kouros for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter.

Which lasts longer, Fougere Royale or Kouros?

Kouros lasts longest (Kouros 85/100, Fougere Royale 59/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Fougere Royale or Kouros?

Kouros projects furthest (Kouros 79/100, Fougere Royale 65/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Fougere Royale and Kouros smell similar?

Clearly different: a 27% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic accords. Common notes include Lavender, Bergamot, Clary Sage and Geranium.

Is Fougere Royale or Kouros better for summer or winter?

For summer, Fougere Royale is the stronger pick. For winter, Kouros is the stronger pick. Fougere Royale suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.

What are the notes in Fougere Royale and Kouros?

Fougere Royale has top notes of Lavender, Bergamot and Clary Sage, heart notes of Geranium, Heliotrope, Carnation and Orchid, a base of Oakmoss, Coumarin, Tonka Bean and Vanilla. 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.