Why do perfumes alter in smell between the shop and home?

Environment can have a major effect on the smell of a fragrance. Fragrance testing should also not be attempted after being in a smoke-filled area, or areas where there have been a multitude of aromas, like a florists boutique, medical care facilities, or restaurants where the food odors may cling to your skin or alter your sense of smell temporarily. Bear in mind too, that the area where the perfume or fragrance was purchased, had probably been used by a number of fellow shoppers who were spritzing and spraying their prospective purchases in the air, to test their own fragrances. These aromas would all serve in masking the true smell of the fragrance you purchased. Once in a neutral environment, your elected fragrance may take on slight different scent, and will continue to alter whilst you wear it, due to the chemistry in the body.

You may have tested a small area on your skin, when in the store where you purchased your product, and spraying it more liberally would have a more overwhelming effect too. It is often said too, that it is best not to smell perfume or fragrances on yourself, so take a friend along with you to help you decide. Remember too that the perfume will have a development stage and as it settles on your skin, and your body reacts, the scent will begin to change. You may have to try different perfume to guage which fragrance settles on your skin better, and carries it’s original scent to your liking. Try one or two fragrances that you like and test them for a trial period and judge the reactions, and how they endure hours after. Selecting a good perfume that works well with your body chemistry does not necessarily have to be expensive, and just like trying on clothes to see which fits best, perfumes and fragrances demand the same attention.