Kim Kardashian’s Skims brand is offering full refunds to customers after a $148 advent calendar triggered a massive social media backlash.
Marketed as a collection of “12 days of surprises,” the set was widely panned by buyers who compared the contents—which include hair ties, bobby pins, and keychains—to items found in a junk drawer or between car seats.
The product, which is currently sold out with a waitlist, was billed as containing “playful items and everyday favorites,” including specific accessories like a bear keychain, logo-branded keychains, scrunchies, a squishy, and a comb keychain that some users noted could not actually comb hair.
The controversy ignited after several viral unboxing videos featured creators expressing frustration as they opened each day of the calendar. One video, which garnered nearly 65 million views, captured a creator becoming increasingly agitated with the contents, leading others to describe the product as a “scam” or “lawsuit-worthy.”
In one clip, an influencer named Kayla Ryan exclaimed, “I’m hoping this is a prank and the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back,” after revealing a keychain.
Another creator remarked, “This is the last one and it better be made of gold,” before grimacing at a furry compact mirror. Commenters on various platforms compared the items to “cleaning out Kim’s nightstand” or things one could purchase at a Dollar Tree.
In response to the viral outcry, a Skims spokesperson stated that the brand was “aware of the feedback” and acknowledged that “for some, the calendar didn’t meet expectations.”
The company confirmed it has personally contacted every customer who purchased the advent calendar to offer a choice between a full refund or store credit. The brand representative added that the feedback “will directly shape how we approach future releases” because they want every customer to be “truly happy” with their purchases.
Retail Trae Bodge noted that brands must consider if their products will “hold up well on a TikTok.” Similar criticism has been directed at other high-end retailers in recent years, including Chanel and Dior, which faced public backlash for calendars containing miscellaneous branded trinkets and samples priced as high as $1,025 and $5,000, respectively.
Other luxury examples include a 2019 Tiffany & Co. release that contained 24 pieces of jewelry for $158,000, and a 2021 Chanel set that featured stickers and a magnet alongside small perfumes. Kardashian, 46, has previously faced controversy for her brand choices, including 2024 backlash for a Skims collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana that some critics claimed made a “mockery” of religion.
The Skims calendar is the latest in a series of high-profile luxury missteps; two years ago, Sephora also faced consumer criticism for its trinket-filled holiday calendar.
