Thumbsucker Stora Skuggan 2020

This smells like a children’s hospital. A haunted children’s hospital. Powdered violets and narcissus create a potent baby powder cloud, while medicinal honey and cherry syrup linger beneath. It’s the scent of something strongly medical trying to be covered up with an even stronger, sweeter potpourri. But instead of reassurance, I’m met with goosepimples. I have to give Thumbsucker points for that: this is the spookiest scent I’ve met. If you collect the souls of naughty children inside handmade ragdolls or know how to scuttle gracefully along the ceiling of a church, this is THE scent for you!

Mental Snapshot: “Hoo-hoo!” A whistling voice pulls you from sleep. You groggily lurch upright, blaming the drugs. But no… no… You can smell it. Half candyfloss, half anaesthetic ether. From the dark, it jingles. “It’s me! Thumbsucker! The Hospital Clown!”

tl;dr: haunted children’s hospital

As a swede I need to help the community by writing a review of this gem! Thumbsucker. A unique amalgamation of notes, this scent is a veritable time capsule, leading you back to a childhood filled with sunny days, innocence, and the purity of first experiences. The scent is very unique, filled with floral, wood, cedar, vax as a base. But fruity and fun on the top with, honey, cherry and just light and fun.

The performance of Thumbsucker is solid. Longevity stands at around 6-8 hours on the skin, and the sillage, while not monstrous, is present enough to draw others into your personal scent story without overpowering them. Packaging-wise, Thumbsucker stays true to the minimalist aesthetic of Stora Skuggan. The bottle is fine, but it has a very nice cap, looks handmade. My only critique for Thumbsucker is its rather unique scent profile that might not appeal to everyone. Its very unique, hard to say what perfume is closest to this scent. Its a must try, all my friends love it, so that says something! This is a unisex scent imo.

In conclusion, Thumbsucker by Stora Skuggan is very unique and if you like rare, this is for you.

Opens with a medicinal, plasticky cherry scent - I get a vision of a vintage convertible with bright red vinyl seats, top down, white heart sunglasses on. After the first 30 minutes or so it transforms into a strong violet similar in scent to Augustin Reyes' Royal Violets cologne. Points for creativity. Love the retro feel.

Not my cup of tea, to be straightforward.

Very sour smelling (like milk gone bad), a bit animalic, like used baby wipes and a bouquet of freshly plucked daisies. Vintage smelling, screechy, not a "peaceful" and unobtrusive composition...

Sadly I don't get any cherry, just a bit "green", floral or milky sourness and a civet like vintage effect. Nose brand described it as a "hungover-scent, sweet and comforting cloud..." It didn't have that effect on me, and just a thought of smelling it hungover... the effect would be just the opposite, I suppose. :-D

Longevity is fairly good, I tested it in the evening, and could still discreetly smell it in the morning.

Can't say I like this one, unfortunately but surely is a unique composition, complex and potent smelling.

Thumbsucker opens with a boozy beewax and slightly pissy aldehydes (reminiscent of grandpa juices; we miss you, pissy aldehydes). A great opening! But then, the violet and cherry start piercing through. They result in a medicinally bitter and poisonously green note. Floral aspects and honey are fighting as hard as they can to keep the sourness in check (and they fail miserably). In the air, thumbsucker is powdery, soapy, and floral. The bitterness is more palatable than up close.

Performance is decent, with decent projection and decent longevity. Decent, unlike the bitterness.

TL;DR: a symphony of complex bitterness.