Fragrance comparison

Kouros vs Tsar

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

Updated 15 Nov 2026 10,399 ratings analysed

Kouros

Yves Saint Laurent

3.618,584 votes

Rank #1,513 MuskyAnimalic

Full profile Similar & dupes

38%scent match

Some overlap

4 wins

Tsar

Van Cleef & Arpels

4.191,815 votes

Rank #750 AromaticWoody

Full profile Similar & dupes

Quick verdict

Which one should you pick?

Tsar takes 4 of 7 categories.

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

Kouros3/7

Tsar4/7

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

Head-to-head breakdown

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

Fragrance

KourosYves Saint Laurent

TsarVan Cleef & Arpels

Winner

Ratings & consensus

Average rating and ownership split

3.61/ 5 · 8,584 votes

Have 68%Had 32%Want 0%

4.19/ 5 · 1,815 votes

Have 63%Had 38%Want 0%

Category winnerTsarRating weighted by vote count

Community sentiment

How voters split from love to hate

40%Love

23%Like

4%Ok

23%Dislike

9%Hate

8,584 votes

45%Love

41%Like

3%Ok

11%Dislike

1%Hate

1,815 votes

Category winnerTsarMost positive mix (25+ votes)

Longevity & sillage

0–100 community performance scores

⏱ Longevity85

〰 Sillage79

♥ Love / hate65

⏱ Longevity72

〰 Sillage62

♥ Love / hate80

Category winners

LongevityKouros

SillageKouros

Value for money

How fairly priced voters find it

¤ Price value58

¤ Price value48

Category winnerKourosBest value score

Main accords

Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by both

musky100%

animalic92%

aromatic84%

powdery77%

earthy69%

leather61%

aromatic100%

woody90%

fresh spicy80%

green70%

earthy60%

mossy50%

Scent match38%Some overlap · both aromatic and earthy

Note pyramid (duration)

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

Top

AldehydesCorianderClary SageArtemisiaBergamot

Heart

PatchouliCarnationVetiverJasmineGeraniumOrris RootCinnamonLavender

Base

CivetMuskHoneyLeatherOakmossAmberTonka BeanVanilla

Top20-30 mins

Green NotesLavenderArtemisiaRosemaryBergamotCorianderCinnamonNeroli

Heart2-4 hrs

Pine TreeJuniper BerriesCarnationTarragonGeraniumCarawayJasmineRose

Base6-8+ hrs

OakmossLeatherCedarPatchouliVetiverSandalwoodMuskAmber

InformationalShared notesCoriander, Artemisia, Bergamot and Patchouli. Durations are only published for Tsar, so this is not scored.

Seasons & time of day

Relative to each fragrance's best season

Spring57

Summer36

Fall0

Winter100

Day–

Night–

Spring91

Summer51

Fall0

Winter100

Day100

Night73

Category winnerTsarMost year-round

Who wears it

Gender appeal votes

Men92

Unisex6

Women2

Men94

Unisex5

Women1

InformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored

Ranking & credits

Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launch

Overall rank#1,513

PerfumerPierre Bourdon

Launched—

Reviews209

Overall rank#750

PerfumerPhilippe Bousseton

Launched—

Reviews204

Category winnerTsarHigher overall rank

In a nutshell

Description & review snapshot

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 →

Van Cleef & Arpels Tsar is a quintessential green aromatic cologne that captures the crisp air of a dense pine forest. It opens with an invigorating rush of cool lavender, bitter artemisia, and crushed rosemary, creating the sensation of walking through morning woodland dew. As the scent settles, aromatic juniper berr…

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

Fancy NightsJessica SimpsonRUNNER-UP vs

Nino Cerruti Pour FemmeCerrutiWINNER

1 person compared this today

Sweet DreamsHouse Of SillageWINNER vs

Safari ElixirAthoor Al AlamRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

PrometheuNecalliWINNER vs

Bruno ImperialAnfar LondonRUNNER-UP

1 person compared this today

Super CedarByredoRUNNER-UP vs

NorthMendittorosaWINNER

1 person compared this today

Common questions

Straight answers from the data above.

Which is better, Kouros or Tsar?

Tsar takes 4 of 7 categories. Kouros is rated 3.61/5 from 8,584 votes; Tsar is rated 4.19/5 from 1,815 votes. Choose Kouros for a musky and animalic character. Wins on longevity, sillage & projection and value for money. Best in winter. Choose Tsar for a aromatic and woody character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and versatility. Best in winter, daytime wear.

Which lasts longer, Kouros or Tsar?

Kouros lasts longest (Kouros 85/100, Tsar 72/100), based on community performance votes.

Which projects more, Kouros or Tsar?

Kouros projects furthest (Kouros 79/100, Tsar 62/100), based on community performance votes.

Do Kouros and Tsar smell similar?

Some overlap: a 38% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share aromatic and earthy accords. Common notes include Coriander, Artemisia, Bergamot and Patchouli.

Is Kouros or Tsar better for summer or winter?

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

What are the notes in Kouros and Tsar?

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. Tsar has top notes of Green Notes, Lavender, Artemisia and Rosemary, heart notes of Pine Tree, Juniper Berries, Carnation and Tarragon, a base of Oakmoss, Leather, Cedar and Patchouli.