I like to think that most of us know by now that the best perfumes of all time don't have to be punchy scents that induce headaches. The new power perfumes of 2024 are soft and, frankly, unassuming—and these scents are the ones I believe, as a beauty editor, to be the most majestic and impressive around. The latest soft scent to blow my socks off? Chanel Comète.
While I love intense woody scents and amber perfumes as much as the next person, when it comes to the sorts of perfumes I lean on day to day, it's cosy, skin-like fragrances all the way. I like fresh, powdered musks and comforting creamy scents—the sorts of perfumes that fuse with the skin in a way that feels like they were just made for you. And Chanel Comète does all of that in a way that no other perfume I've ever encountered before is capable of.
You probably don't need me to tell you that Chanel fragrances possess a certain je ne sais quois. It is a truth universally acknowledged in the perfume community that Chanel scents are the best of the best—they boast intense longevity and unique blends that champion the finest ingredients. Chanel fragrances, in my opinion, can be spotted a mile off due to their distinctly palatable luxury. They don't rely on heavy, punchy, powerful notes used in high concentrations to grab attention, instead relying on the finest olfactory craftsmanship to create something totally unique—and Comète is, in my opinion, the house's finest example of this to date.
Inspired by the Bijoux de Diamants high jewellery collection created by Gabrielle Chanel in 1932, Comète is an ode to the iconic necklace (the centrepiece of the collection) of which it shares its name. Sometimes referred to as the 'shooting star' necklace, the diamond-encrusted star nestled itself into the hollow of the neck. And while from the diamond-related inspiration you might assume the Comète fragrance to be sparkling, crystal-clear and dazzling (I did at first), you'd be wrong. Instead, Comète leans into that neck-nestling, intimate connection with the skin.
Although the listed notes of cherry blossom, heliotrope and iris would have you thinking it might be a total bomb of petals and a floral fancy, that couldn't be further from the truth. It is actually the elements of powderiness from iris, the sweetness from cherry blossom and the milky, vanilla-like quality of heliotrope that make Comète the chic, comforting scent it is. Together, these characteristics mingle with musk to create a creamy, bright, sweet aroma that melts into the skin as if it has always been there.
Key notes: Cherry blossom accord, heliotrope, iris, musk
And while this might sound like any other skin scent out there, I can assure you it's not. Because amongst all of the powdery, creamy goodness is a shimmering, sparkling heart that has it radiating from the skin like the most expensive diamond in existence. It smells effortlessly luxurious—the perfume equivalent of throwing on a pair of two-carat earrings with a t-shirt and pair of jeans. It is the sort of fragrance that has people totally infatuated. It relaxes you and makes you feel at home the minute you smell it, proving reminiscent of everything good in life.
So much so, in fact, that from the minute it landed on my desk, I have worn it religiously. Yes, Comète has graced my neck every single day for the past two months, and the reception has been somewhat extraordinary. When my husband fetched a cardigan out of the wardrobe for me just last week, I had to wrestle it off him while he nuzzled his face into the bundle of cashmere because the neckline smelled like 'me' (read: Comète). I had to convince a colleague that the comforting aroma she was smelling was not my natural odour by presenting her with the bottle from my handbag. My mother insisted on embracing me for just a few moments longer on my last visit.
And what has all of this proved to me? That once you have Comète in your hands, you'll never want to let it go. It is a scent that feels like home.
