The Skims 2026 accessories advent calendar has been characterized as containing items you might discover at the bottom of your handbag, on the floor of a vehicle, or tucked away behind your dresser when you shift it.
Following significant customer outrage, Kim Kardashian’s fashion label is providing refunds to all purchasers of the calendar. Priced at $276 Cdn (or $148 US—a considerable markup), it is marketed as “12 fun days of surprises” and includes a variety of hair ties, bobby pins, and key chains.
Disappointed customers shared viral unboxing videos over the weekend, labeling the expensive calendar “a mess” and even a scam.
“Are we really serious right now?” exclaimed influencer Kayla Ryan upon revealing three pink bobby pins for Day 4. She described it as “the worst advent calendar I have ever seen” in her Saturday video, which garnered over 20 million views by Monday morning.
“I’m hoping this is just a prank and the final one is a $150 gift card for a full refund,” she remarked after uncovering Day 9, which featured an ornamental comb keychain that was incapable of combing hair.
“This is the final one, and it better be made of gold,” another TikTok creator stated in a video that has received nearly 65 million views, before opening Day 12 to find a furry compact mirror attached to a key chain, which prompted a grimace from her.
“So, essentially, everything that slips between my car seats,” one user commented on the video; another labeled it “outrageous for perhaps $20 worth of items.”
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 made to various media outlets, a representative from Skims acknowledged being “aware of the feedback” regarding the advent calendar and conceded that “for some, the calendar did not meet expectations.”
The company informed Page Six that they “personally reached out to every customer who bought the calendar” and provided options for a full refund or credit towards their other products.
CBC News has attempted to contact Skims for additional comments but has yet to receive 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 instance of controversy surrounding advent calendars. In 2021, Chanel faced criticism online for a $1,025 calendar filled with stickers, a magnet, a keychain, and other assorted branded items, along with a tiny lipstick, hand cream, and a small bottle of perfume.
The following year, Dior was criticized for a nearly $5,000 advent calendar that primarily included candle accessories and scented soaps alongside small perfume bottles.
Some observers have condemned high-end advent calendars as merely luxury status symbols fueled by the unboxing trend. For instance, last year, Dior marketed an $11,000 calendar. In 2019, Tiffany & Co. released a limited advent calendar containing 24 pieces of jewelry 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
The Skims advent calendar is now sold out with a waitlist. Some individuals have pointed out that the online product description clearly outlines what to expect in the calendar each day: a bear keychain, hair elastics, scrunchies, bobby pins, a squishie, hairbands, additional bobby pins, a comb keychain, a logo keychain, more scrunchies, and a faux fur compact mirror keychain.
“While I concur that the contents are outrageously priced, we should discuss personal accountability as consumers,” one individual remarked 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 items were disclosed, you disregarded the description, spent $148 [US], and then felt completely blindsided by what you received, some of that responsibility lies with YOU.”
A Toronto influencer known as Glamzilla defended the advent calendar in a TikTok video, arguing that it centers on the experience of unwrapping something leading up to the holidays rather than being merely about a “big gift.”
She faced criticism in the comments section of her video, with some accusing her of “gaslighting” and lacking sensitivity to the calendar’s price.