WHAT I SMELL: Comête has a putty like cherry blossom opening that moves quickly to the powder with a dusting of lightly sweetened iris surrounded by a quiet heliotrope. It’s soft, gentle and rather unassuming. After a couple of minutes, it becomes incredibly unassuming because it feels as if it is about to disappear from your skin. But soon enough, the heliotrope begins to blossom in a muted manner. And soon after, the iris begins to layer itself over the heliotrope and in combination creates for a very soft and comforting wear that’s slightly sweetened. In the end, a hazy musk makes its appearance to lead Comête to its floral cotton ball of a finish.
From the Chanel website:
Ever superstitious, Gabrielle Chanel let the stars guide her to the world of high jewelry, which she revolutionized in 1932 with her unique and now legendary BIJOUX DE DIAMANTS collection. The COMÈTE necklace was at the heart of the constellation. Its shooting star, nestled softly in the neck, symbolizes the intimate, sensorial connection that links a person to their jewelry—as well as their fragrance. Luminous and sensual, the new COMÈTE Eau de Parfum was composed by CHANEL In-House Perfumer Creator Olivier Polge and leaves a trail reminiscent of stardust in its wake.
A fresh cherry blossom accord is caressed by notes of iris and heliotrope. An intense floral scent with a powdery, musky signature.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A purple floral halo crown.
THREE WORDS THAT DESCRIBE COMÊTE: soft, serene, subdued
WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT COMÊTE: The Black Narcissus
BOTTOM LINE: Long story short, I bought a bottle of Comête at 12:30 am at the Singapore airport where the Chanel representative was sweet enough to open up the locked store to let me experience this new release…so of course I had to have it. That said, I want to love Comête, but instead I just rather like it. Where as my other Exclusifs (1957, Boy, Chanel 22, etc.) make for perfume cravings, Comête has not yet achieved that status. But like the others, Comête has an easy to wear clean feeling that makes it rather enchanting, even though it may be a bit fleeting as its staying power is a bit challenged.
- Bone Rating: 3.5 out of possible 5 bones
- Scent: Floral
- Nose: Olivier Polge
- Classification: Leans feminine
- Expense: Starting at $325 for 2.5 oz. eau de parfum
WHAT I SMELL: Death of a Ladies Man (DLM) opens very green with a warmed grass and basil that is incredibly inviting, very familiar and radiantly beautiful. An added mix of powdery violet and galbanum makes for something akin to diving into a big bowl of talcum powder wherein you’re the puff. It’s funny, with all of the powder and talcum, the perfume doesn’t feel feminine. Instead, it’s delightfully sophisticated in a masculine way like an ascot of days gone by. As the perfume begins to settle, an undercurrent of a metallic note reveals itself which pulls DLM away from the warmth to more to the sharpened, woody and lightly vegetal. In the end, the slight metallic/woody edge disappears and the perfume becomes a quiet dream that greets your nose with powdered projections throughout the day.
WHAT I SMELL: Domaine graces the skin with a warm buttery and creamy green opening. It’s abundantly rich and intoxicatingly lush. As the initial intoxication fades, the perfume’s development unfolds subtly and quietly and tonka discretely emerges in the base, adding depth and warmth. The lily of the valley here however is not what we think of as spring-like that’s light and airy. Instead, a touch of earthy richness binds the lily of the valley to the other notes. Here, this soliflore perfume resides like a heavenly body for eternity. Domaine is beyond beautiful.
WHAT IT SMELLS LIKE TO ME: A French chateau ravaged by time but which still beholds its beauty of days past.
The Scented Hound 