ELLE Exclusive: The Midday Ritual That’s Quietly Saving My Skin (And Sanity)

I’ve always had complicated feelings about facial mists. They felt like the skincare equivalent of herbal tea—comforting, but maybe not doing very much. But lately, I’ve found myself misting more than moisturising. Maybe it’s the weather. Maybe it’s burnout. Or maybe it’s the new CHANEL N°1 De CHANEL Serum-in-Mist, which has somehow become the most-used product in my beauty bag despite launching just this month.

As a beauty editor, I see dozens of ‘hybrid’ launches every week. But this one got me. Because for once, it’s not trying to fix your skin—it’s trying to meet it where it is.

The Return of the In-Between Routine

Most skincare is built around binaries: day vs night, clean vs layered, active vs gentle. But in real life, you’re not always starting with a bare face. Sometimes, you need skincare that doesn’t interrupt your makeup, your schedule, or your energy. That’s where serum-mists sit: in the middle. They don’t change everything, but they change how you feel about your skin in the moment.

The CHANEL mist is exactly that. Lightweight but not watery, nourishing but not greasy, and laced with their signature red camellia extract—a potent antioxidant that targets oxidative stress. The formula also includes fractionated oils that hydrate on contact without leaving a trace. You could mist it over a full face of makeup and still feel like your skin is breathing.

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Why I’m Keeping It On My Desk, Not My Dresser

Because it’s not a product I reach for in the morning or tuck into my night routine, it lives in the middle of my day: when the AC dries me out, when I need to look human again between meetings, or when I catch a glimpse of myself and realise I’ve been frowning for three hours straight.

It’s also strangely grounding. The weight of the bottle, the whisper-fine mist, the one-second ritual—this is the kind of product you don’t just use, you return to. It’s become a tactile form of punctuation in my day.

What Makes This Mist Different

CHANEL isn’t the first to do serum mists. But they’ve made one that finally feels elegant and engineered—like something you’d trust in a carry-on or a bridal prep kit.

As Dr. Armelle Souraud, International Scientific Director at CHANEL, told me: “With N°1 DE CHANEL, we’ve approached beauty through the lens of vitality—helping skin preserve its source of youth. This mist is a multi-sensory formula that works at key moments throughout the day to deliver antioxidant protection, hydration, and radiance—all in one gesture.”

N°1 The Chanel Serum‑in‑Mist Camelia Rouge

What to Know If You’ve Dismissed Mists Before

They’re not toners. Toners prep your skin before serum. Mists are more flexible—you can use them as refreshers, hydrators, or even makeup finishers.
Look for active ingredients. Red camellia extract, ferulic acid, or panthenol—ingredients that do more than just ‘feel nice.’
Skip the water mists. Go for mists with oil-in-water emulsions (like this one) that actually bind moisture to the skin.