Cosmically Inspired Compositions: The First Collection From YLEM + Giveaway

Three unisex creations inspired by the cosmos: the young fragrance label YLEM makes its debut in niche perfumery. To celebrate the launch, we're giving away three sample sets!

YLEM was launched in 2024 as a project close to Mo's heart. His vision: to combine modern perfume art with the fascination of the universe. The name "YLEM" comes from cosmology and refers to the hypothetical primordial matter from which all elements of the universe are said to have originated after the Big Bang. This idea of origins and new beginnings permeates the label's creative concept: each fragrance takes up an astronomical phenomenon and interprets it olfactorily. 

To mark the launch, YLEM presents three Extraits de Parfum inspired by galactic nebulae: "Soap Bubble", "Eye of God" and "Eastern Veil". 

Soap Bubble - Fugitive and yet unforgettable

Inspired by the delicate beauty of the Soap Bubble Nebula, known for its spherical, iridescent appearance, SOAP BUBBLE embodies an airy, almost transparent yet present fragrance that combines cleanliness with playful elegance. A fragrance for those who love minimalism with character.

YLEM 

"Soap Bubble" is a modern, musky fragrance with floral, fruity and sweet accents. Peach blossom, iris and magnolia open the composition with delicate freshness and a creamy texture. At the heart, passion fruit, caramel, patchouli and white flowers unfold into a warm, slightly gourmand melange. The conclusion is a chord of sandalwood, white musk, peony and vanilla, which brings the fragrance to a soft and powdery close.

Eye of God - A view into the infinite

Inspired by the majestic sight of the Helix Nebula, also known as the "Eye of God", Eye of God captures the mystical balance between awe, warmth and infinity. A fragrance for those who love presence with depth.

YLEM

The second creation, "Eye of God", is powerful and multi-layered - a fragrant homage to the Helix Nebula, one of the most striking planetary nebulae in our night sky.

The top note combines notes of birch tar, oud, styrax and Sichuan pepper to create a smoky, spicy opening with a metallic freshness. The heart then reveals a sweet-spicy warmth of nutmeg, cotton candy and Buddha wood. The base adds depth and structure to the composition: amber, moss, labdanum, vanilla and oud again create a dark, resinous finish with a balsamic softness.

Eastern Veil - A warm veil

Inspired by the mysterious glow of the Eastern Veil mist, this fragrance captures the interplay of light, darkness, sweetness and depth. Like the mist itself, Eastern Veil is both fleeting and enduring, a play of shimmering facets that unfolds again and again. A fragrance for all those who love elegance with character.

YLEM 

The third creation, "Eastern Veil", is dedicated to the eponymous part of the Veil Nebula - a filigree remnant of a long-gone supernova.

The fragrance journey begins with a floral, spicy combination of rose, popcorn and pink pepper (Schinus molle) and then moves into a sweet, warm heart of iris, oakmoss and sugar. Finally, a base of maple syrup, musk, cedarwood and amber rounds off the composition in a soft and woody-sweet way. 

Behind the scenes - An interview with Mo from YLEM

You launched YLEM Parfums as a project close to your heart. What motivated you to found your own fragrance label?

I have been a fragrance enthusiast and collector for over 15 years. So I've basically turned a hobby into a project. Founding my own perfume brand had been a dream of mine for a long time. I just didn't have the right idea. But I found it at the beginning of 2023.

At the launch, you are presenting three fragrances, each named after cosmic nebulae. How did you come up with the idea of choosing celestial phenomena as a source of inspiration?

It was very important to me to have a central idea that had a solid foundation. It not only allows us to tell stories, but also shapes the visual imagery and the feeling that the brand should convey. For me, there is nothing more boring than brands that don't tell exciting stories and don't have their own identity.

When I came across the topics of space and nebulae in a brainstorming session, I was immediately hooked and began to do some in-depth research. I came across hundreds of beautiful nebulae and their names. I contacted NASA to find out if the images and names were protected. At first I worked with the project name "Noble Nebula". After some time, I found a term from astronomy: "YLEM". It describes the mass that existed after the Big Bang and from which everything we know today originated. That is of course a huge playground. It was clear to me that YLEM would be the brand name and the core idea was to translate phenomena in space into fragrances.

What was the creative development process of the YLEM brand like and what were the challenges?

The development process took over two and a half years. Turning the idea into a visual concept was very time-consuming. It was important to us that the design was minimalist and modern. No gold, no glitter. Together with a very talented design team from Berlin, I developed the CI and the logo, which should be reminiscent of star charts. We designed the caps, the printing on the bottle and the packaging.

As I work full-time in the advertising industry, I was a complete newcomer to the sector and had no contacts whatsoever. The most difficult thing was therefore to find reliable and good partners for glass, lids, sprayers, packaging, etc. Countless samples, revisions and discarded designs have paved the way over the last two and a half years. I am very happy with the current design.

The development of the fragrances naturally ran parallel to this. I was lucky enough to be able to recruit the great, patient and experienced perfumer Andreas Wilhelm for the project. He was one of my preferred candidates right from the start and immediately loved the idea of YLEM when I presented it to him at the beginning of 2023.

Andreas and I worked very closely on the fragrances. Numerous 10 ml samples were sent from Zurich to Hamburg. The main inspiration for the fragrances were of course the corresponding Nebulae - Soap Bubble, Eye of God and Eastern Veil - whose names and appearance formed the creative basis.

"Soap Bubble" is delicate, modern and playful at the same time. What fascinated you so much about the dazzling soap bubble nebula that you wanted to translate it olfactorily?

"Soap Bubble" is a delicate fragrance, that's right. If you look at the Soap Bubble Nebula, it actually looks like a blue soap bubble in a red mist. So it was clear pretty quickly which direction the fragrance should take. Andreas and I worked a lot on making sure the fragrance wasn't too "simple" and more than just another soapy-floral scent. The DNA is perfect for summer and something I've never smelled before. With "Soap Bubble" we invested a lot of time in giving the fragrance longevity without compromising the DNA.

"Eye of God" combines powerful notes such as oud, spices and cotton candy. What was the creative starting point for this special blend?

With "Eye of God", it was clear from the start that this would be a heavy, dark fragrance that not everyone would like. The Nebula looks gloomy, intimidating, almost frightening. It looks like a giant eye staring at you. The result is a beautiful, woody amber oud fragrance that has something very special thanks to its sweet accords. in my opinion, "Eye of God" is the most special of the three fragrances and my favorite.

"Eastern Veil" combines unusual accords such as popcorn, rose and maple syrup. What mood or feelings do you associate with this fragrance?

"Eastern Veil" was the fragrance that presented us with the greatest challenges. The base was there relatively quickly, but we spent an extremely long time working on the nuances. If you look at the nebula, you see a blue-reddish, veil-like cloud. The fragrance should envelop you, radiate warmth and convey a feeling of security. Like me, Andreas is a perfectionist. We worked a lot on balancing the sweetness in the fragrance so that the dry, salty and gourmand notes are not lost, and on shaping the sillage so that the veil always envelops the wearer. The popcorn accord was one of the last notes to be added and has rounded off the fragrance perfectly.

YLEM symbolizes origin and new beginnings. Where do you want to take the brand in the future?

I'm really looking forward to hearing the feedback from people out there. You spend so much time working on every little detail yourself and are then naturally all the more excited to see whether all these details result in a coherent overall product for the customer.

I have a great partner in Parfums Lubner in Hamburg and Berlin, where YLEM will be available exclusively at the POS for the first three months. After that, selected perfumeries will follow. The fragrances will be available online at www.ylemparfums.com from 02.06.

My aim is to grow very carefully and sustainably - especially when it comes to partners. There will be further releases, but only when the fragrance DNAs are worthy of bearing the name of a beautiful cloud billions of years old in outer space.

➡️ You can find out more about YLEM and its first collection on Instagram at @ylemparfums.

The new fragrances are available in flacon sizes of 50 ml.