Skims offers refunds after $276 advent calendar sparks online backlash

Kim Kardashian's apparel brand Skims is offering refunds to customers who purchased its 2026 accessories advent calendar, following a wave of online ridicule over what buyers found inside.

The calendar, priced at $276 Cdn, or $148 US, was advertised as "12 fun days of surprises." Behind its doors: an assortment of hair ties, bobby pins and key chains. Critics online compared the haul to what might be found at the bottom of a purse, on a car floor, or behind a dresser.

Disappointed customers posted unboxing videos over the weekend that quickly went viral, with some calling the calendar "a mess" and a scam.

Influencer Kayla Ryan opened Day 4 of her calendar to reveal three pink bobby pins. "Are we serious right now?" she exclaimed, calling it "the worst advent calendar I have ever seen." Her Saturday video had drawn more than 20 million views by Monday morning. After Day 9 produced an ornamental keychain comb that cannot actually comb hair, she added: "I'm hoping this is a prank and the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back."

Another creator, filming for a TikTok audience of nearly 65 million views, opened Day 12 to find a furry compact mirror attached to a key chain and grimaced. Commenters piled on. "So, basically, everything that falls between my car seats," one wrote, while another called it "wild for maybe $20 worth of stuff."

In statements to multiple media outlets, a Skims spokesperson said the company was "aware of the feedback" and acknowledged that "for some, the calendar didn't meet expectations." The company told Page Six it had "personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar," offering either a full refund or credit toward other products. CBC News reached out to Skims for further comment but did not receive a reply.

The controversy joins a growing list of luxury advent calendar flops. Chanel faced similar mockery in 2021 over a $1,025 calendar filled largely with stickers, a magnet and a keychain alongside miniature beauty products. A year later, Dior drew criticism for a nearly $5,000 calendar consisting mostly of candle accessories and scented soaps. High-end calendars have kept climbing in price regardless: Dior sold an $11,000 version last year, and Tiffany & Co. released a $158,000 limited calendar containing 24 pieces of jewelry in 2019.

Some observers noted that the Skims product description spelled out the full contents in advance: a bear keychain, hair elastics, scrunchies, bobby pins, a squishie, bra elastic hairbands, more 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 person wrote on Threads, arguing that buyers who ignored the description shared some responsibility.

Toronto influencer Glamzilla defended the calendar in a TikTok video, framing it as a holiday countdown experience rather than a "big gift." Commenters pushed back, accusing her of "gaslighting" and being insensitive about the price.

Despite the uproar, the calendar is currently sold out, with a waitlist in place.