When I first heard about the SKIMS Advent Calendar, I expected something a little more exciting than what people ended up receiving. SKIMS is a well-known underwear and clothing brand founded by Kim Kardashian, and it is not exactly a budget-friendly store. So when the company put out a holiday advent calendar for around $150, I imagine plenty of shoppers expected something special. Instead, the contents left many buyers disappointed, and the unboxing videos have turned the calendar into one of the most talked-about holiday products of the year.
The funny thing is that this was not a case of customers opening a mystery box and discovering that the company had sent something completely different from what was advertised. SKIMS had listed the contents on its product page. However, seeing a list of small accessories online and actually opening twelve little doors after spending nearly $150 are two very different experiences. Once influencers started showing what was inside, people quickly began questioning whether the calendar was worth anywhere near its price.
Now SKIMS has responded to the complaints, offering customers a choice between returning the calendar for a full refund or keeping it and receiving $150 in store credit. That is quite a response, especially for a product that sold out and attracted so much attention online.
What Is the SKIMS Advent Calendar?
The SKIMS Accessories Advent Calendar launched on October 29, 2026, as part of the brand’s Holiday Shop. It was priced at $148 in the United States and £158 in the UK, and it has since sold out, with interested shoppers now able to join a waitlist.
Unlike some fashion advent calendars that include a mixture of underwear, clothing, beauty products and accessories, this one focused entirely on accessories. There was no clothing inside, despite SKIMS being best known for its underwear, bras, shapewear and everyday basics.
The calendar contained twelve days of gifts, including a teddy bear keychain, hair elastics, satin scrunchies, bobby pins, a SKIMS squishy, hair clips, two bra elastic headbands, a comb keychain, a logo keychain and a fuzzy compact mirror keychain. These are the kinds of little items people might pick up as inexpensive extras, but SKIMS was selling the collection as a premium holiday calendar.
At $148, the price works out to more than $12 for each door. That might not sound outrageous if the calendar contained valuable or particularly special products, but the reaction to the unboxings suggests that many customers felt the items did not justify the cost.
Why Are People Complaining About the SKIMS Calendar?
The main complaint is simple: people expected more for their money. A calendar costing almost $150 is not a small purchase, particularly when it contains only twelve gifts. Shoppers were not necessarily expecting twelve expensive products, but they clearly wanted something that felt like a proper holiday treat rather than a collection of small branded accessories.
The unboxing videos made the disappointment even more obvious. Some of the videos attracted enormous attention, with one reportedly passing 30 million views and another reaching 18.9 million. That is a lot of people watching the contents of a single advent calendar, and the reaction spread well beyond the usual SKIMS customer base.
I think part of the problem is the difference between how a product looks when it is presented as a luxury holiday release and how it feels when you finally see everything laid out. A teddy bear keychain, scrunchies, hair clips and a compact mirror can be perfectly useful little accessories. But when they are packaged into a $148 calendar, customers naturally start comparing the contents with what else that amount of money could buy.
It also did not help that the calendar was associated with a brand that has built its image around premium pricing and celebrity influence. People were expecting the SKIMS name to mean something more than simply putting a logo on everyday accessories. Once the videos started circulating, the calendar became an easy target for jokes and criticism.
SKIMS Responds With a Refund or $150 Store Credit
After the backlash, SKIMS made a move that many unhappy customers will probably appreciate. On November 9, the company emailed buyers with two options: return the advent calendar for a full refund, with return shipping waived, or keep the items and receive $150 in SKIMS store credit.
A company spokesperson also confirmed the offer to the press. This means customers who decide they do not want the calendar are not expected to pay return shipping to get their money back. Those who would rather keep the accessories can take the store credit instead.
The store credit option is interesting because it is worth slightly more than the original US purchase price of $148. However, it is not the same as receiving cash back. Customers who choose it will still need to spend the credit at SKIMS, so it makes more sense for someone who already shops with the brand and plans to buy something else.
If you are unhappy with the calendar and do not intend to shop at SKIMS again, the full refund is probably the better option. There is little point accepting store credit simply because the amount looks attractive if you have no interest in spending more money with the company.
Is the SKIMS Advent Calendar Worth $150?
Honestly, I can understand why people are disappointed. The calendar was not advertised as a clothing collection, and the contents were listed before customers placed their orders. So it would not be fair to say that SKIMS secretly promised twelve pieces of clothing and then sent accessories instead.
But that does not mean the price was good. Customers are allowed to look at what they received and decide that the collection does not feel worth $148. Listing the contents beforehand does not automatically make the price reasonable, especially when the gifts are mostly small everyday accessories.
I also think the response from SKIMS says a lot about how seriously the company has taken the reaction. Offering buyers a full refund or the same amount in store credit is a significant step, and it gives disappointed customers a way out instead of leaving them stuck with a purchase they regret.
That said, the offer does not suddenly make the original calendar a good deal. It simply gives buyers a chance to recover their money or use the value elsewhere in the store.
Should You Join the SKIMS Accessories Advent Calendar Waitlist?
If you missed the original release and are thinking about joining the waitlist, I would take a closer look at the contents before getting excited about another chance to buy it. The calendar is sold out at the moment, but availability alone does not make it a must-have holiday purchase.
I would only consider it if you genuinely like the accessories shown and are comfortable paying the asking price for them. Do not join the waitlist expecting clothing, shapewear or some surprise luxury products to appear inside. The advertised calendar contains twelve days of accessories, and that is what buyers received.
Also, keep in mind that the refund and store credit offer was sent to existing buyers. It should not be taken as a promise that future waitlist customers will receive the same deal if the calendar comes back into stock.
SKIMS Has a Holiday Calendar Problem
The SKIMS Advent Calendar is a good example of how a famous brand can get a product badly wrong even when it has plenty of attention and a loyal customer base. The company charged $148 for twelve days of accessories, but the contents did not impress a large number of buyers once they saw the actual unboxings. The fact that the product details were available beforehand does not change the fact that many customers felt they had paid too much for what they received.
I do give SKIMS credit for responding with a full refund option and $150 in store credit. Not every company would offer customers that choice after a product attracts this kind of criticism. However, the calendar itself still looks overpriced to me, and I would not rush to join the waitlist just because it has sold out.
If you already bought one and are unhappy, I would lean towards taking the refund unless you regularly shop at SKIMS and know you will use the credit. As for anyone thinking of buying it if it returns, make sure you actually want those twelve accessories. The SKIMS name and a pretty holiday box are not enough to make a $150 purchase worthwhile.
Check out Necklow Sleep Pillow that I reviewed, earlier.