The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Highway was created by perfumer Laurie Stern and launched in 2017 as a limited edition eau de parfum. Its name points to the restless romance of the open road, a feeling made vivid by the 1977 song “Highwayman,” written by Jimmy Webb and recorded by Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. Rather than translate that story literally, Stern built the fragrance from vivid natural materials: citrus cutting through spruce, berries giving the composition movement, and neroli, rose, cedar, and vanilla lending an elegant softness. The result feels less like a passenger seat and more like the view rushing past an open window. On the skin, citrus brings a clear brightness, spruce adds a crisp green edge, and berries lend a juicy pulse.
The unusual part is the balance Highway keeps between open-air brightness and close, sensual warmth. Citrus and spruce make the composition feel windswept, while berries lend color and motion. Neroli and rose introduce a polished floral register without making the scent precious. Cedarwood then draws a woody line through the composition, and vanilla softens the finish without turning it overtly gourmand. It is a familiar set of materials arranged for movement, with road-trip energy held inside a polished botanical frame.
The evolution
The first impression is clean, bright, and outdoorsy, with citrus cutting through the green snap of spruce. Neroli adds a clean floral sheen, while wild berries and rose introduce a juicy, romantic flicker. As the opening settles, cedarwood gives the composition more structure, shifting the mood from fresh highway air toward polished warmth. Vanilla remains the most persistent material, gradually turning the trail softer and more tactile without erasing the fruit. Over time, Highway moves from sunlit and brisk to woody, gently sweet, and close to skin, like the lingering scent of a warm day spent outdoors. The citrus brightness recedes gradually, leaving the green character of spruce more pronounced before rose and neroli settle into a smoother floral layer. Berries continue to provide a lively accent against the deepening cedarwood.
Cultural impact
Highway draws on the enduring resonance of “Highwayman,” a song associated with Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings, and turns that open-road imagery into a fragrance narrative. Its name evokes movement, distance, and romantic possibility, while its composition gives that idea a vivid sensory form. The opening citrus and spruce feel crisp and exposed, berries add color and motion, and neroli and rose bring a graceful floral warmth. Cedar and vanilla gradually deepen the fragrance into a smoother, more intimate trail.
The House
Velvet & Sweet Pea’s PurrfumeryVelvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery is an independent natural fragrance house founded by perfumer Laurie Stern. Based in California, the studio crafts perfumes, colognes, body oils, bath salts, and body frostings exclusively from natural botanical ingredients. Each fragrance is hand-blended using floral, wood, seed, spice, and citrus materials, reflecting Stern's commitment to natural perfumery without synthetic compounds. The brand has developed a devoted following among niche fragrance enthusiasts who appreciate its artisanal approach and cat-themed identity. Notable creations include Jewelry of Heaven (2006), Fleur de Caramel (2012), and Luminous Lemurs (2020), among a catalog spanning nearly two decades of botanical perfumery.
The Creator
Laurie SternLaurie Stern builds from the ground up, starting with single botanical materials and layering complexity through patience rather than formula. She favors rose, a recurring presence across her work that she explores through the Rose Perfume Tour and her own studio experiments.
