The phrase "a special something" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to an intangible quality or characteristic that makes something unique or appealing.
Example: "This dish has a special something that keeps me coming back for more."
Alternatives: "a unique charm" or "an extra touch".
Most seasoned travelers have a special something they won't leave home without.
SOME restaurants have a special something that exerts a gravitational pull on even the most discerning critic.
Many players believe — rightly or wrongly — that the Fenders of the 1950s, the '60s and even the '70s, when analysts say quality suffered, have a special something.
"Even though I was very inexperienced at that point, I had seen enough to know there was a difference between people who had a special something and people who were simply good".
Fluctuating in a blink between adjective and verb, it either describes someone who is already the owner of the "gift" in question, or the act of someone who has bestowed this very same "gift", thereby endowing the recipient with a special something.
Then add a special something that makes the experience memorable.
In the auto world a halo is a special vehicle, something different, something sexy, to lure buyers into the showroom or get loads of publicity.
Something in the color, a special detail, something out of the ordinary that makes our collection contemporary but classic.
In the pianist Enrico Pace Mr. Kavakos had another special something: a partner whose quietly genial presence and sparkling touch served to balance Mr. Kavakos's resolute focus.
She had a beautiful technique and special something that made my eye keep going to her.
"...We have something special, something unique: an idea at our core - a promise - that ours is a city for everyone".
