The items included in the Skims 2026 advent calendar for accessories have been likened to what one might discover at the bottom of a purse, on the floor of a vehicle, or tucked away behind a dresser when moved.
Following a significant outcry from customers, Kim Kardashian’s fashion line is now providing refunds to purchasers of the calendar. Priced at $276 CAD (or $148 USD — a notable markup), it is marketed as “12 fun days of surprises” and includes various items like hair ties, bobby pins, and keychains.
Unboxing videos that went viral over the weekend, shared by dissatisfied customers, labeled the expensive calendar as “a mess” and even a scam.
“Are we serious right now?” influencer Kayla Ryan exclaimed as she revealed three pink bobby pins for Day 4 of the calendar. In her video posted on Saturday, which has garnered over 20 million views by Monday morning, she stated it was “the worst advent calendar I have ever seen.”
“I’m hoping this is a prank and that the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back,” she added after discovering an ornamental keychain comb that is not functional for hair after opening Day 9.
“This better be made of gold,” another TikTok user said in a video that has received nearly 65 million views before unveiling Day 12, which contained a furry compact mirror on a keychain, prompting a grimace.
“So, basically, everything that falls between my car seats,” one viewer commented on the video; another noted it was “wild for maybe $20 worth of stuff.”
A composite of three screen grabs from TikTok unboxing videos for the new 2026 Skims advent calendar by, from left, @wetsloppyswollen, Brittany Shaw, and influencer Kayla Ryan. (@wetsloppyswollen/TikTok, @kaylaryan/TikTok, @brittanyshaw2.0/TikTok)
In statements shared with various media outlets, a spokesperson for Skims acknowledged that they were “aware of the feedback” regarding the advent calendar and recognized that “for some, the calendar didn’t meet expectations.”
The company informed Page Six that they had “personally reached out to every customer who purchased the calendar” and offered either a complete refund or a credit towards other products.
CBC News has attempted to contact Skims for additional comments but has not yet received a response.
Chanel’s limited edition advent calendar, priced at $1,025, has become the subject of backlash online after it left some consumers unimpressed. Strategists say it could serve as a reminder of how to market to a Gen Z audience.
‘Disappointed they got what they paid for’
This is not the first controversy surrounding advent calendars. In 2021, Chanel faced significant criticism online for a $1,025 calendar that included stickers, a magnet, a keychain, and assorted other branded items, in addition to a miniature lipstick, hand cream, and a small bottle of perfume.
The following year, Dior was heavily criticized for a nearly $5,000 advent calendar that contained mostly candle accessories and scented soaps, alongside small perfume bottles.
Many commentators have denounced high-end advent calendars as merely luxury status symbols that thrive on the unboxing trend. For example, last year, Dior sold an $11,000 calendar. In 2019, Tiffany & Co. introduced a limited advent calendar featuring 24 jewelry pieces priced at $158,000.
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A Dior calendar for $11K? Here’s how the humble advent calendar has gone bananas
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Luxury brand Chanel roasted online for $1,025 Advent calendar full of stickers, other trinkets
Currently, the Skims advent calendar is sold out with a waitlist in place. Some have pointed out that the online product description specifies the items included in the calendar each day: a bear keychain, hair elastics, scrunchies, bobby pins, a squishy toy, bra elastic hairbands, additional bobby pins, a comb keychain, a logo keychain, more scrunchies, and a faux fur compact mirror keychain.
“While I agree the contents are ridiculously overpriced, we need to have a conversation about personal accountability as consumers,” one individual commented on Threads.
Rob Warren, marketing professor at the University of North Dakota, speaks with host Marjorie Dowhos about the rise of high-end advent calendars for adults and why retailers are capitalizing on childhood nostalgia.
“If the contents were disclosed, you ignored the description, spent $148 [US], and then acted completely blindsided by what you received, some of that responsibility belongs to YOU.”
A Toronto influencer known as Glamzilla defended the advent calendar in a TikTok video, arguing that it is about the joy of unboxing something leading up to the holidays rather than simply receiving a “big gift.”
However, she faced backlash in the comments, with some accusing her of “gaslighting” and lacking sensitivity to the product’s high cost.