Kim Kardashian’s apparel brand Skims has been forced to offer refunds to customers who bought its $148 advent calendar after a wave of viral unboxing videos mocked the contents as overpriced “junk” barely worth the packaging.
The 12-day accessories calendar, which promised “twelve days of fun surprises,” contained items including hair ties, scrunchies, bobby pins, Skims-branded hair clips, keychains and a faux fur compact mirror . Customers who paid the premium price quickly took to TikTok and Instagram to express their disappointment, with many comparing the contents to items found at the bottom of a handbag or behind a sofa cushion .
The most prominent critic was content creator Kayla Ryan, whose unboxing video amassed more than 20 million views as of Monday . Opening Day 4 to reveal three pink bobby pins, she exclaimed: “Are we serious right now?” and called it “the worst advent calendar I have ever seen” .
“I’m hoping this is a prank and the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back,” she said .
Another creator’s video, which drew nearly 65 million views, showed her grimacing as she opened the final day to reveal the compact mirror keychain . One commenter summed up the sentiment: “So, basically, everything that falls between my car seats” .
Some users noted that the product description on Skims’ website did list the specific items in the calendar, prompting a debate about consumer accountability versus brand responsibility . One person wrote on Threads: “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” .
In a statement to multiple media outlets, a Skims spokesperson acknowledged the criticism and confirmed the company had reached out to every buyer.
“We understand that, for some, the calendar didn’t meet expectations,” the spokesperson said. “We have personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar and offered them a choice of a full refund or a Skims credit to put towards other products” .
The company added: “We want every customer to be truly happy with what they receive from Skims. Their feedback matters to us and will directly shape how we approach future releases” .
According to The New York Times, Skims also said the product will not be restocked . The calendar is currently listed as sold out with a waitlist .
The Skims controversy is the latest in a string of high-profile advent calendar backlashes. In 2021, Chanel was criticised for a $1,025 calendar containing stickers, a magnet and a keychain alongside miniature beauty products . A year later, Dior faced similar backlash over a nearly $5,000 calendar that mostly contained candle accessories and soaps .
Amy Odell, a fashion journalist and author, told The New York Times that these products are often designed for social media rather than the customer. “It’s like the brands are designing them for social media more so than the customer,” she said. “And celebrity brands are always going to be a flashpoint. This is perfect internet catnip: Kim Kardashian, Skims, advent calendars, and then, you know, junk within the advent calendar” .
Odell described the phenomenon as a “seasonal example” of greedflation, where brands use inflation as an excuse to raise prices without providing commensurate value .
The refund offer comes at a sensitive time for Skims, which was valued at $5 billion in a 2025 funding round and is expected to surpass $1 billion in net sales . The brand, co-founded by Kardashian and Jens Grede in 2019, has expanded beyond shapewear into loungewear, activewear and now accessories .
Kardashian herself has not publicly addressed the advent calendar controversy. The brand has weathered viral criticism before, including a faux public hair thong release that Kardashian defended as “a fun, silly idea” .
