Route du Thé
Barney's New York (1986)

Possibly my least favorite scent EVER Burning licorice is the first thing that comes to mind when placing this toxic mess on my skin, followed by the fear I have accidentally poured some type of caustic cleaning solution on my skin. Did I get a tainted bottle? It smells of sickly sweet hospital cleaner. This is the only scent I've ever put on that made me physically ill. It does last a long time (someone shoot me). Wife says I smell like a prostitute. I guess I am no where near as sophisticated as some of you chaps. Save your money for something you really like.Pros: Cons: Too many."

This is a a Bergamot bomb! Spice and warmth, with a sweet honey note about 10 minutes in. Honestly, I can't detect any LOV in there. The Amber base is delightful, but still heavy on the Bergamot. Route du The evokes Earl Grey tea with honey and lemon-very delightful, modern classic, & unisex. Niche before niche existed.

Disgusting, smells strongly of some hazardous household cleaning product with it's sharply synthetic notes. I'd rather wear Cillit Bang.

BARNEYS ROUTE DE THE: Conceivably my signature fragrance, in that for twenty years, I have repeatedly returned to Route de The. This was the fragrance that taught me scent was non-gendered. It was early in the Eighties when Barney's re-introduced this fragrance, and much of Manhattan got caught up in its clean, crisp smell: like spring narcissus in a rock garden after a rain, with a touch of wet macadam. I knew an interior designer who wore it–and it was an epiphany to realize that fragrance had nothing to do with being male or female–and soon thereafter, with earnings from tutoring students, I bought my first bottle of Barney's Route de The. Years come and go, and some years, another bottle of Route de The awaits me under the Christmas tree. To wear this fragrance anew always makes me happy–and apparently many others, too, given the many compliments I receive.

This is what Costume National Scent should have been. Just a tad bit light on Amber, and add a bit of fruitiness to give it more character.

This fragrance always reminds me of extra-dry ginger ale. It's kind of sharp and fizzy and I was very surprised to find there are no ginger notes in it. It dries down to a clean soapy smell on me.This is not a fragrance I'd wear to seduce someone; more like something I'd wear to a business meeting. It's crisp and clean on me.Sometimes I layer this with something sweet, like Brandy or a vanilla scent. Might not work for everyone, but it does for me.