Are we serious right now?
exclaimed influencer Kayla Ryan as she opened Day 4 of the Skims accessories advent calendar to reveal three pink bobby pins, kicking off widespread social media backlash that led the apparel brand to offer full refunds, cbc.ca reported.
The 12-day holiday package costs $276 Canadian or $148 US. It features items such as hair elastics, scrunchies, keychains, a squishy, and a furry compact mirror.
Disappointed shoppers posted unboxing videos over the weekend that quickly drew millions of views. One viral TikTok video by creator Kayla Ryan accrued more than 20 million views by Monday morning, with the influencer calling the product the worst advent calendar she had ever seen.
Another TikTok video by a creator known as wetsloppyswollen garnered more than 45 million views as she grew increasingly frustrated unwrapping items like Skims-branded keychains and Christmas ornaments, according to Page Six. Commenters on social media compared the contents to items found at the bottom of a purse, behind a dresser, or between car seats.
Kimberly, you’re genuinely about to piss me off,
the creator said in the clip. This is way too expensive.
I’m hoping this is a prank and the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back,
influencer Kayla Ryan said as she unboxed the calendar.
Skims issued a statement to media outlets acknowledging that the company was aware of the feedback and that the product failed to meet expectations for some buyers. The apparel brand told Page Six that they personally contacted every customer who purchased the calendar to offer a full refund or a credit toward other products.
The representative added they want every customer to be truly happy with what they receive from SKIMS,
and that the feedback matters to us and will directly shape how we approach future releases.
The product page is no longer active on the Skims website, and the item remains sold out with a waitlist. Some defenders of the brand, including Toronto influencer Glamzilla, argued on TikTok that the purchase price pays for the daily experience of opening gifts rather than a large primary item, while other social media users noted that the online product description explicitly listed every item included.
High-end advent calendars have repeatedly sparked online debate over pricing and contents in recent years. In 2021, Chanel faced online criticism for a $1,025 calendar containing stickers, a magnet, a keychain, and a small perfume bottle, according to cbc.ca.
Dior faced similar backlash a year later for a nearly $5,000 calendar featuring candles and soaps. Tiffany & Co. released a limited advent calendar containing 24 pieces of jewelry for $158,000 in 2019, while Dior sold an $11,000 calendar last year.
I don’t feel right with a rosary 📿 and this type of photo shoot ☹️,
one social media user wrote at the time. Another added, Nothing about you is holy,
urging Kardashian to take the rosaries off.