Comète
Eau de Parfum, Chanel (2024)

Last month, I had the pleasure of trying Comète by Chanel, the latest addition to their prestigious Les Exclusifs line. This fragrance follows the release of Le Lion in 2020, another standout in the same collection. Like Le Lion, Comète is a beautiful perfume that captures the essence of Chanel’s refined elegance. However, both fragrances bear a striking resemblance to classic creations by Guerlain, leading me to ponder the direction Chanel is taking.
Comete is a modern "interpretation" of Guerlain’s L'Heure Bleue just like Le Lion was Shalimar's.
Beautiful creation - just unoriginal.

I found Comete easy to like and definitely in the style of the Chanel exclusives. I spent most of the time wearing it trying to decide which of the others in the line it reminded me of most. Three that came to mind the most were Boy, Beige, and Misia.

I liked it, especially the opening with its almost-leather type of feel. Into the base, I felt like it wasn't all that exciting.

Powdery fruity floral. This is more interesting than Beige while keeping that pretty, appropriate for any occasion vibe. This would be better placed in their mainstream line. Purely synthetic. At this point only the extraits keep the balance of naturals with aromachemicals.

Comète by Chanel (2024) is another member of the expensive Les Exclusifs range only sold in boutiques or select flagship department stores, meaning it won't be smelled by most. Seems these days the only fragrances Chanel launches are in this high-cost low-availability range, as if they are saying (without saying) that they are done supporting the legacy upper-middle customer that was their bread and butter since the postwar era for the brand. I can understand that, with income inequality getting ever more desperate, there just really isn't that "average Chanel customer" anymore, and you're either all-in on their $15,000+ accessories with stuff like these perfumes being just a bag-stuffer to round up, or you're using clones you bought from AliExpress because rent needs to be made. Something like Comète does smell like it could have been at that $90-$130 price range if released just ten years ago, but such is the sign of the times.

Comète is at once modern and yet traditionally Chanel, with aldehydes and the brand's penchant for iris and rounded musk profiles. The core of this fragrance will be the introduction of cherry blossom as a floral centerpiece, and you smell it right away alongside the classic aliphatic aldehydes in the top. Chanel No. 5 (1921) for a new generation this very well could be, if that generation is within the "one-percenter" club. The cherry blossom works, but its mixture with the aldehydes and heliotrope produce a sort of "80's salon product" effect that I have noticed a bit more often in some of the things sold at this price point (looking at Byredo and Tom Ford specifically). That is, until the iris, dusty patchouli - plus the "Polgewood" sandalwood proxy - mix with white musks to produce the patent "Chanel smell" a lot of these more-recent Les Exclusifs have; this is something you either love or hate about the house. Performance is long, but projection is close-ish.

On one hand it is fun to see Chanel take the typical overly-sweet "cherry phenomenon" that has been circling higher-end niche/luxury perfume for a while and tame it in the typical Chanel way - or should I say the father and son Polge way - with the result being among the most-refined and wearable offerings in this particular trope. On the other hand, basing a fragrance on an obscure 1932 jewelry piece from the Chanel archives shows just how scraped the barrel is for themes in this range; but at least Chanel stick to their olfactive language yet again even if they are still playing catch-up with Lauder and LVMH. I'm not entirely sold on this one; as I said, something that smells like this could have (and should have) been in the neglected standard ranges, which themselves see precipitous price hikes every year anyway. Whether or not this fragrance is hubris or some artistic gem my nose doesn't quite get I'll leave to you, but I'll compromise with a neutral rating.

Chanel Comete is a beautiful, soft, creamy fragrance composed of the purple flowers of iris and heliotrope, with a delicate cherry blossom opening. The cherry blossom is subtle, more of an undercurrent really, imparting a light, floral creaminess to the composition throughout the opening and into the heart of the fragrance. Aldehydes are listed as a note, but their presence is fleeting and not remarkable to my nose. I greatly enjoy the heliotrope in this perfume with its slightly almondy facets, and together with the iris, the fragrance wraps you in a creamy, powdery cocoon, with soft musks cushioning the drydown. Full bottle worthy for me.

I have now worn this scent nonstop for at least three days and feel ready to post my impressions of it….

This is a soft and light fragrance. The cherry blossom opening is sparkly, cheerful, and smells like cherry fruit without being too sweet or too sour. Nothing like cough syrup. It is what you might in your imagination wish cherry blossoms to smell - it matches my wish.

Cherry blossom portrays the role of a pink flash at the front end of a comet that gives way to a beautiful blue powdery heliotrope center. The iris plays a supporting role. There is no carroty or bready iris to be found. Silver cold iris enhances the comet-dust blue effect of the heliotrope.

Love it! I find myself enveloped in a soft halo of scent. It leaves a very pretty scent trail. I find myself walking back through where I’ve been thinking, “ What is that beautiful scent? Oh yeah, it’s ME!”

The white musk in the base is a gorgeous skin scent on me. A very beautiful dry down.

My nose does not detect any soapy notes or laundry notes. This is a VERY different modern Chanel and I am here for it! It still smells Chanel with the sparkling opening, but the cherry blossom and heliotrope are new for this house as far as I know and have collected.

I own many Les Legendairres and classic Guerlains. I find this to be different from the Guerlain’s heliotrope scents. There is no vanilla or any hint of Guerlinade. I also find it plenty different from Insolence and absolutely nothing like La Petite Robe.

You will need to be a fan of powdery scents to love this. As for me, with its uplifting opening, stardust blue middle, and gorgeous musky comète tail, this offering by Olivier Polge for the Les Exclusifs line has me starstruck.