Ylem NGC 6302 Sets Icy Herbs Against Tuberose Heat

Cosmic themes in fragrance often end with abstract notions of “stardust” and metallic accords. With NGC 6302, Ylem has chosen a more specific subject: the Butterfly Nebula, also known as NGC 6302.

The fragrance was created by Swiss perfumer Andreas Wilhelm. Its idea rests on a collision of temperature extremes: descriptions of the nebula place intense heat alongside icy water crystals. Rather than literally imitating space, the composition translates this into a contrast between green, herbal freshness and dense floral, smoky volume.

The opening features buchu leaves, lemon zest, apple blossom, tropical fruits and cardamom. It then moves towards tuberose, narcissus, jasmine sambac and osmanthus. This is a significant turn: instead of sterile “cosmic” transparency, its centre is a rich, living floral heart.

The base takes the fragrance into darker territory, with patchouli, incense, wormwood, absinthe, Ambrostar™ and a bespoke “cosmic” accord. NGC 6302 therefore has not a smooth progression but a deliberate tension between cool herbs, white flowers and smoky amber depth.

NGC 6302 was released in 2026 as a unisex extrait de parfum. For collectors, the interest lies not only in its astronomical reference but in Wilhelm’s method: taking the image of a distant object and making it legible through familiar materials—buchu, tuberose, incense and wormwood. Only personal wear will reveal how convincing the contrast is on skin, but its stated construction is clearly not intended as a serene “space fragrance.”