Rose Highland

Early on in my fragrance journey, I thought of rose scents—along with most florals, really—as something outside my wheelhouse. Despite being theoretically opposed to the idea of gender in perfume, in practice I still tend to gravitate towards more unisex or masc-coded smells. However, I’ve become increasingly interested in the idea that wearing a rose fragrance could be a cool flex for me and I’ve been seeking out weirder” roses (whether green, earthy, peppery, salty, or otherwise) that read as “unisex” to me. Of the ones I’ve found, Jorum’s Rose Highland might be my favourite. It’s a cool, bracing scent that opens with a startlingly realistic ocean breeze, salty and mineralic, surrounding the impression of wild rosebushes with herbaceous notes that vividly transport you to a Scottish cliff carpeted with scrubby, flowering heather, overlooking the ocean. Basil imparts an aromatic green touch as sharp pink pepper and cloves spice up the rose’s supporting florals (geranium, rhododendron, and jasmine). This isn’t some pampered hothouse rose, it’s a rugged, thorny one, with just a handful of dark-red blooms. It has a forlorn, solitary flavour, bleak but romantic, perfect for gazing longingly out to sea while swathed in a shaggy Shetland sweater and tartan scarf, listening to plaintive Scottish indie pop. As it dries down, the oceanic notes recede and the rose blooms seem to dessicate into dried petals wrapped in a woody, grassy vetiver, still salty, maybe a little tear-stained. It’s a beautiful, evocative scent that I find very unisex, and it’s also an extrait with impressive stamina: like a cliffside shrub, it’s built to last and won’t be uprooted by inclement weather. Quite possibly my overall favourite Jorum creation (though their recent release Boswellia Scotia is also a top contender).🌹 🥀 🌹

Rose Highland by Jorum Studio. (photo in fragram by Grim, review by Maria) A reconstructed, naturalistic rose. Like shards of a shattered mirror in which it reflected and continues to reflect, fluttering in the wind. Very green, with a citrus undertone, dense with geranium, fragile, and prickly. The mood is minor and unsettling. It clings with its sharp thorns to a rocky cliff, struggling to survive in harsh conditions and attract those who are not fond of the usual garden beauty. However, the flower is sometimes drowned out by the mineral notes of salty stones, some of which are covered in moss on a peat base, earthy, almost inky vetiver of a stormy sky, iris-spicy smoke hanging in the mist. This wild, ascetic rose is from the dark tales of the deep Middle Ages. I love wearing it in wet, windy weather when it gains even more momentum with the elements and becomes impossibly good! Like a sea sponge absorbing transparent droplets of the sea, dew, rain, or the “water of life,” tinged with the color of pigeon blood. A very unusual, cold, and tragic thing. Genderless and timeless. Moreover, it’s extremely diffusive, instantly filling a room! Keep in mind that one spray is enough to stay with it for an entire day. And the smaller the dose, the more beautiful Rose Highland becomes! Tags: #fragrance #JorumStudio #RoseHighland #rose #perfume

this is such a beautiful expression of a wild rose. the first time i smelled rose highland i felt transported to the heart of a brontë novel —hear me out, although in different parts of the UK brontë’s england and scottish rose highland are from the same universe. there is something pure, fresh yet devastated and haunted about it. it is a romantic rose but in a truly exalted and tormented 18th century way. i smell the jagged cliffs, i smell the cloudy mist, i smell a wind lightly charged with ocean spray (is this the work of the pepper corn ?) and most of all, i smell delicate but ever present wild roses and heather laced through the windswept and low lying shrubbery of the scottish highlands. everything is wet and mineral, dewdrop jewels hidden among rosy petals. i went on a wild camping hike through parts of the scottish highlands at the end of last summer and the landscapes evoked the very same emotions stirred in me by this perfume.

Edit to add: I went to Scotland and was able to see the Jorum Studio store and try all of their amazing scents. After that visit, I went to Stirling Castle and had a moment where I was standing on the wall walk staring toward the highlands in the north. The cold, damp stone wall near the moist grass and soil, paired with a nearby blooming rosebush, evoked the balance this perfume strikes perfectly. I rushed to the shop when I got back to Edinburgh and purchased it so I can remember that moment forever. **** Impressed is the first word that comes to mind. At first spray, the rose felt a bit "much" but it almost instantly turned into something greener, spicier, and more mineralic. The rose stays, but it allows other players to come forward and do a lovely little dance.

Reviewing a sample from 2025. Rose Highland was launched in 2022. This is a windswept deep red rose on a bed of thorns . This Rose is a bit distorted. Rose Highland opens with a potent metallic slightly spicy rose with leathery- hay undertones.Over time this morphs into a clean metallic accord joined by indistinct florals (mostly geranium) and cloves. It is not sweet, fruity or cloying. A complex base of ambery orris and aromatic woods provides contrast. Quality- excellent Unisex - totally Performance - excellent This is a truly modern interpretation of rose. Should have been called Guns 'n Roses .If you have had enough of rose oud or vintage/ cloying rose scents this is one to try. 9/10

An absolute royalty amongst rose scents I've ever tried. Very airy, very freeing, incredibly fresh. Mineral, a little bit spicy. Basil in the opening is absolutely enchanting. It's giving a very cool and stunningly beautiful vibe at the same time. I can easily imagine myself in a gorgeous dress, running through the moors and hills, looking for my knight, who's about to show up on the horizon and gasp loudly seeing me. Stunner. My 3rd favourite from Jorum. It responds to my love for romantic and slightly gothic stories, the winds and rocky peaks of the Highlands, and charming aspects of my personality.

This is not your grandmother’s rose. The mineral notes really stand out here to create the impression of cold headwinds whipping through the thorns of a rosebush on a rocky cliff. Elegant, wild, and haunting all at once. This is my favorite type of perfume, where a perfumer takes a familiar, classic scent and puts an unexpected but perfect twist on it. Lovely 🥀

Smells like rose water but not like other rose water-like scents I've smelled somehow. Maybe it's the type of rose or the other notes mixed in but I actually don't mind this! As a 19-year-old, if you love the smell of roses then this is for you. Not old-fashioned whatsoever! (To me, but my taste can be somewhat mature at times)

It's cold and metallic, but I like it. Or do I? Rose Highland feels somehow curated by the Pet Shop Boys. If the tension in West End Girls was a scent, this would be it. The rose is a city rose. Bought from a street corner flower kiosk. An apology bouquet (plus the "rich people jar-of-jam") that the oddly captivating conman Paul sent to the wealthy Kittredges in the 1993 movie version of Six Degrees of Separation. Rose Highland also reminds me of the theory. The rose is like a friendly stranger, an acquaintance of an acquaintance, someone whose face you pinpoint in a crowd. You vaguely remember who they are, or may be, but later you conclude that you aren't quite sure. From now on this person crosses your mind frequently but you still can't crasp the connection. You are bothered by this. But unconsciously you have this knowing that someday, you will remember. And when you do - it's going to start something significant, life-changing even. It is a computer network theory applied to human connections. Facial recognition technology. Self doubt manifesting as a flower arrangement. A gifted jam jar never opened partly because of your sugar-free lifestyle but mostly because you resent + doubt the gifter or plan to re-gift. 80's computer generated model of a rose. Concurrently, a contemporary AI study of it. For me, Rose Highland can be read as the "slightly smiling" emoji. You can interpret that however you like.

A boutique perfume shop owner sprayed this for me. Otherwise I never would have tried it. I highly dislike clove, pink pepper, and rose... or so I thought. I consider this my gateway rose fragrance. I really pick up the ambergris, and mixed with the mineral notes it gives the effect of a rocky sea coastline, salty wet and cold (in the nicest way). There's an airy rose, not dense or distilled in any way. Maybe you pass a single rose bush on your hike along the cliffs. Imo another name for this perfume could be Salt Rose. I don't pick out the other notes too strongly, for me they mesh together to make this realistic outdoor effect. I'm surprised at how much I like this, and now I'm curious to try more rose.

An aromatic, mineral-tinged, lightly salty, jammy rose. I also get vetiver and geranium, and I think those are fantastic touches. The composition as a whole is excellent. It feels like they’re trying to push that rose straight into your brain, forcefully, but in a good way. I’ve always loved unisex aromatic roses, and this might honestly be the best "sinus-opening rose" I’ve smelled so far. I wouldn’t call it ultra-realistic, but that isn’t the goal anyway. This is exactly what I wanted from the Rose SaltifOlia I decluttered and didn’t get. Here it is, right in front of me. My salty rose. Tag(s): aromatic, salty, jammy rose, geranium brightness, fresh, spicy

Initially my nose picked up a combination of rose and cumin or saffron. I was surprised to see neither listed as a note, though maybe it was the mineral-heather-clove combination that threw me off. In a relatively short period of time, this dries down to a woody-vetiver-floral base which was a nice skin scent throughout the day. Though this is not my personal style, I definitely appreciate the artistic approach. It's very hard to make a unique rose fragrance in such a saturated market, and that's exactly what Jorum did!

Took a second for me to get into but I now adore this. The rose is astringent especially at first spray however this plays very well in the air with great sillage on a breezy day! Airy gardeny and fresh. Reminds me of lush’s rose jam but without any natural rose-sweetness and more greeniness. Although there’s no saffron I kind of get that, maybe it’s the mineral notes I’m not sure. Lasts quite a long time. Perfect for the springtime!

What you would smell at the top of a limestone cliff while a soft butch lesbian, carrying a bouquet of roses in her satchel, rides her motorcycle along the coastline below. Salt, stone, sea air, leather, metal, and a rose dipped in gasoline—not the warmest or sweetest or friendliest rose, but oddly magnetic. One of the only perfumes I could imagine wearing to the Eagle on a Friday night.

Damp, cold rose garden. Love it. Can’t wait for all of my scarves to smell like this in the dreary post-holiday months. When I finally run out of DedCool’s discontinued Smiley Face Garden (not on Fragrantica, for some reason), this will be the only suitable replacement for me. This is less green and astringent, but it scratches the same itch.

Does not have a super strong rose smell in my opinion. But the rose is there, very fresh and green rose. Overall it's a very green smell and it recalls to me a scent from my childhood which I can't place. I quite like the perfume, though I don't love it. It also does not last long on me at all, which is the biggest downside.

I do love rose fragrances but this one was not my favorite.That metallic notes ruins everything for me.Its not bad either but not my style.Very interesting to smell and its a unique rose.Lightly spicy and earthy.More feminine leaning for sure.

Beautiful, cool, marine rose. Breezy. A hint of berry sweetness. A powerful scent, great, long lasting performance. I enjoy rose notes myself, but this is a completely feminine rose. Would be gorgeous on a woman.

A rounded, fruity, salty rose. Not so much likeable as distinct and interesting. Good performance and very unique.

a very astringent rose. fresh and youthful

I ordered a sample of this when I read a review stating that this was a salty rose that didn’t smell like a classical rose. I can see where that is coming from, but the ‘classic’ rose is still shining pretty obviously through. The beginning is very metallic in a way, and the basil is a breath of fresh air. I get the cloves as a nice (and necessary) contrast to the sweet and heady flower bouqet. But the initial smell from this is not exactly my cup of tea. But what is my cuppa is how this dries down. It gets salty, and dry, and something that almost reminds me of hay or dry grass (is that vetiver?) But at the same time, the fragrance never gets that dry or dusty feeling. It is airy when it is combined with the salty and metallic, and with the description from the brand in mind, I can picture the rocky coastline with wild roses growing along a jagged path. It is unique, a sharp and cool rose, and oh how intense it is. But for me, not really liking rose scents I will have to say that it is better than most, but will sadly never get any real high remarks from me. Still, the sillage and longevity is great, so if you do like rose and/or want to mix it up a bit, this a great alternative!

this is the one i was least excited about from this collection, because i just don’t like rose centric perfumes. but it has admittedly taken me by surprise. it does have a soapy aspect to it, but not the usual sort of powdery soapiness i’d expect from rose. it’s not mature... it’s chirpy, exuberant and very airy. it has some vibrant character to it. i think it’s interesting that they’ve called it rose highland, as it smells more like an array of wildflowers growing in a field; which makes sense when looking at those notes. i’m not picking up on much of a mineral quality unfortunately. really cool concept though.. mixing florals and minerals. there’s something about it that makes me associate it to scented candles that’d be sold in overpriced, artisanal stores where pretentious middle aged people walk around with upturned noses. i can’t ever see myself wearing this as a form of self expression, but i can still appreciate it.

Unsure how I feel about this. Metal and rose. Maybe a good unisex rose option. Good longevity and decent sillage.

interesting, reminds me of dried dead roses

Initially smells like a house fire where a bunch of petroleum based products are burning. And peat. I absolutely hated it on first sniff. After a while I detected some of the herb notes and it slowly became fresher and a bit more appealing . There is a dry and muted rose hiding in the background. And something lemony or like lemon oil. It’s quite masculine, I suppose, as there is no sweetness or much florality and only a little freshness. The initial blast of headache inducing funk almost rules this one out for me. I have no idea how anyone can compare this to Rose Tonnerre, which is such a luscious rose. Whatever the word luscious means to you, this is the opposite of that. However, I started to be intrigued by this as it aged on my skin. After 12 hours it was straight up lemon oil furniture polish. Maybe it’s a love/hate thing. This is definitely a challenge scent and not a safe blind buy.

Gee, I am really having a different thought process from all the other reviewers! My first thought: "Oh ugggh! Rose petals floating in a vat of motor oil!" By drydown, that off-putting note dissipates for the most part, and the rose part is nice, so it's a shame about the diesel! Longevity was very short (only about five hours), and sillage was quite large. I never thought I would say this, but I am glad I didn't win a bottle of this in the giveaway contest a few months back! :P Because I genuinely don't know when or for what occasion anyone would wear this. "High quality" and "luxurious" (like the reviews below mine mention) are definitely not the words that come to my mind. I am glad other people are liking it, though! But to me, it more says "Motherwell Town Centre" than "Buachaille Etive Mòr".

Wanted to love this because I enjoy both rose and mineral notes. But it's too earthy for me - I cannot get past an initial blast of wet earth/peat moss. Not a safe blind buy, but if you're into earthy rose scents and want to smell like the Scottish Highlands, check out a sample. I love the idea behind it.

Basil, Rose, Geranium and cloves. It should be nice but something just seems off for me.

I picked up a bottle of this on holidays in Scotland and I made the trip to the studio especially to hopefully pick one I like, and this was the winner. The opening note smells like vase water - like roses you’ve let decay in a vase. Not the best start. But something wonderful happens when the other notes hit - fresh basil and wild heather, incredibly lifelike, like fresh cut herbs and herbaceous flowers. It’s not a “pretty” scent and not even remotely sweet - but it is so interesting. Those who called it cold are correct - smells of a herb garden after rain and a few roses off to the side. Glad I took the rare chance to pick it up!

This one has surprised in the best possible way and has become my go-to fragrance for a hot summer. It really does feel like roses wafting one a cool breeze with the mineral aspect evoking cool rocks and earth rather than humid salty air. It is very cooling on a warm day and I will be interested to see how that changes in cooler temperatures. The rose never overpowers the woody mineral aspect but remains throughout the wear, and it bloomed beautifully when I got caught in a rainshower on a walk. Perfectly unisex.

The motor oil(!) fades into a tolerable, wearable cold steel/rock framework for an austere outdoor rose. Cool, bracing, naturalistic in its way. The rose accord is legible but not overpowering (and definitely not sweet); by the end it’s a casual, almost neutered rose. Very conceptual and weirdly evocative. May or may not scan “pleasant,” especially at first, but it’s worth waiting to evaluate the drydown as a spiky, Cubist, unisex-leaning-masculine rose interpretation.

Blind smelling this on a blotter, it's an herbal/aromatic rose with a hint of airiness. The aromatic nature of it keeps it from being a crowd pleaser and puts it in the category of "I want to smell like a rose punch to the face and I don't care what you think". A Few minutes later, something nice and "rounding" emerges that feels a bit bubble-gummy and I think it's the jasmine. Still, it's quite strong for my taste. Check it out if you're a rose purist.

This is definitely a warm rose. Like the previous reviewer already mentioned, it has depth. The opening is to me, a little bit weird. It's not your run-of-the-mill rose perfume. It has character, and that's what I love about Jorum. Quality is of course very high. It's potent. The warmth gives this perfume a sense of genderless.

This is the bloodied rose that is similar to La Fille De Berlin. But while that perfume feels like the prick of a rose thorn this is rose and thistle, prickly and metallic, grown in the rocky highlands, thus highland rose. This is not my favorite interpretation of rose, though I appreciate its unique take.

A bright aromatic herbal rose with a bit of fruitiness (thought not in the notes) but also has an airiness about it. Utter perfection and projects beautifully. I might need a full bottle of this. IG/Tiktok: @wilddew_vibes

An angry rose, full of thorns, hanging from the white cliffs of Dover. It truly evokes resilience. Dark, damp and mineral. The only rose I would accept for Valentine's.