Food aromas, candles, cleaning products and ventilation can compete with fragrance. Busy shops and enclosed rooms create very different sensory backgrounds.

Temperature and airflow may alter what reaches your nose. This does not mean a perfume has changed formula; the conditions of observation have changed.

When deciding on a signature scent, revisit it in a familiar, reasonably neutral setting rather than relying exclusively on the first impression in a shop.

Treat a fragrance guide as a useful starting point. The experience of a finished product, your own preferences and its label information remain more important than broad descriptions. XASIS currently presents its Signature Five as fragrance design concepts in development; final notes, formula details and availability are confirmed only for finished products.