Mystique is a quality around a person, a job, a brand, or a place that makes it seem secret, exciting, and special — a bit out of ordinary reach. A great cook may have mystique; so may an old city, or a line of work that people on the outside do not really see. Though actually, mystique is often a story as much as a fact. It can be carefully built — few interviews, a closed door — and it can fall away when you meet the person on a normal Tuesday. The word came from French and still feels a little stylish. It is not the same as mystic (a person on a religious path) and not the same as mystery (a puzzle to solve). People usually say the mystique of someone or something, as a glow that belongs to it, not as a tool you can pick up.