Skims Offers Refunds After $148 Advent Calendar Backlash

Skims, the Kim Kardashian-founded shapewear brand, is offering refunds to customers who bought its $148 accessories Advent calendar after two viral TikTok reviews intensified criticism, according to Today and social media posts.

Over the weekend, one TikTok creator emptied the 12-day calendar and appeared to grow more frustrated with each reveal. The report did not quote Skims, link to an announcement, or specify an exact refund start date, eligibility rules, or whether every buyer qualifies.

What did the $148 Advent calendar contain?

The creator’s haul comprised:

• Six scrunchies
• Six bobby pins
• Four keychains
• Three hair ties
• Two hair clips
• Two headbands that looked like bra straps
• One small, squishy toy in the shape of Skims’ logo

The listed quantities total 24 pieces. Dividing $148 by 24 gives about $6.17 per listed piece, although the report provides no item-level retail prices.

At $148, the calendar costs almost 10 times the $15 ceiling commenters named for the entire contents. That comparison captures sentiment, not a formal item valuation.

Skims describes the product online as containing “a mix of playful items and everyday favorites,” including hair accessories, keychains, and more. The haul matches that general description. The dispute concerns the creator’s view of quantity and quality at $148, rather than a mismatch between the haul and the categories Skims lists online.

How did the backlash reach millions?

The first TikTok video currently has almost 65 million views and more than 8 million likes. A separate review has nearly 20 million views. Together, the two videos carry nearly 85 million views.

TikTok users wrote that they “wouldn’t pay $15” for the contents. Several joked that they could find every product under their beds, and one called it a “box full of pranks.”

Another creator said: “This is terrible. People would pay so much money for a good Skims advent calendar. This is not it. Please do not buy this.”

What does the reported refund offer mean?

Customers have begun receiving the calendars, and some found the contents did not live up to expectations. For those buyers, the reported refund offer creates a possible route to recover the $148 spent, but the report gives no terms, deadline, or eligibility criteria.

For marketers, the audience signal is reach: the two reviews generated nearly 85 million views while criticism centered on value. The source discloses no buyer count, so those views cannot be treated as evidence of 85 million customers.

Creators can use an unboxing as a real-time product audit. Brands face the same scrutiny at $148, with the first video supplying shoppers a piece count, item list and visible reaction.

How large is the premium calendar market?

Luxury Advent calendars flew off shelves this year. Dior and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s As Ever released holiday countdowns costing hundreds of dollars well before Halloween, and the products sold out.

That context places Skims among premium holiday releases, though the source gives no Skims sales total, customer count, or competitor figures for direct comparison. For buyers, creators and brands, the next test is whether Skims clarifies refund terms and whether the package meets the value implied by its price and packaging.