The SKIMS advent calendar backlash has turned a holiday accessory drop into a social media controversy. Kim Kardashian’s brand released a $148 Accessories Advent Calendar containing 12 small items, and a viral TikTok unboxing has prompted widespread complaints that the set is overpriced and underwhelming. The calendar is sold out and now has a waitlist.
The unboxing video, viewed more than 45 million times at the time of writing, shows the creator growing increasingly frustrated as she reveals the contents. Among the items are SKIMS-branded keychains, silk hair ties, hair pins, a SKIMS squishy and Christmas ornaments. Her reaction set the tone for much of the response online.
What’s Inside the $148 Calendar
The calendar is built around small branded accessories rather than full-size products. The 12-day format means each item is opened individually, but the cumulative price is what drew the most attention. In the viral clip, the creator repeatedly questioned the value of the set, telling Kardashian that the price was too high for what was included.
Commenters quickly echoed that view. One social media user said the calendar should be lawsuit-worthy and insisted the comment was not a joke. Another described $150 as wild for what they estimated was roughly $20 worth of merchandise. A third compared the items to things that fall between car seats, while others said the unboxing looked like someone cleaning out Kardashian’s nightstand. One commenter credited the video with saving other shoppers money, and another dismissed the contents as Temu junk.
Backlash Fits a Pattern for SKIMS
The advent calendar is not the first SKIMS release to provoke online debate. Kardashian, 46, launched the brand in 2019, and it has repeatedly drawn attention for products that push into unusual territory. Last year, the brand introduced its “Ultimate Bush” collection, which featured thongs with faux hair in a variety of textures and tones attached to the front. Social media users responded with jokes, including one who said they were calling 911 and another who checked the date to make sure it was not April Fools’ Day.
In 2024, Kardashian also faced criticism for a SKIMS collaboration with Dolce & Gabbana after posing half-naked while wearing a rosary. Some social media users said the imagery made a mockery of religion, with one writing that the combination of the rosary and the shoot did not feel right. Another told Kardashian that nothing about her was holy and urged her to take the rosaries off.
Those episodes show that SKIMS criticism tends to move quickly from product details to broader arguments about price, taste and branding. The advent calendar has followed that path, with the unboxing video serving as a focal point for complaints that might otherwise have stayed scattered across comment sections.
Sold Out but Still Under Scrutiny
The Accessories Advent Calendar is currently sold out online and has a waitlist, even as the criticism continues. That combination — high demand alongside loud complaints about value — has kept the story alive. The calendar was positioned as a holiday item, but the viral response has focused less on festivity than on whether the contents justify the cost.
Page Six reached out to Kardashian’s representatives for comment and did not immediately hear back. Kardashian has also been promoting SKIMS through other channels, including an announcement that the brand is available on DoorDash. The advent calendar controversy, however, has overshadowed that promotional activity in social media conversation.
For now, the SKIMS advent calendar backlash remains centered on the unboxing video and the comments it generated. The calendar’s sellout status suggests demand was strong before the criticism peaked, but the online reaction has made the $148 price tag the defining detail of the release. Whether the waitlist turns into renewed interest or further scrutiny will depend on how shoppers respond once the calendar becomes available again.
