The holiday countdown started early on social media this year, and not in the way SKIMS probably hoped. The Kim Kardashian-founded shapewear brand is facing a wave of online jokes and complaints over its $148 accessories advent calendar, after unboxing videos showed what’s behind each little door. One video, posted November 5, had drawn more than 47.7 million views by the afternoon of November 7, according to TODAY.com.

What’s actually inside

The product is listed on the SKIMS website as an “accessories advent calendar” with 12 days of small surprises. According to the site, as cited by TODAY, the contents include key chains, hair ties and scrunchies, clips, bobby pins and a compact mirror. Despite the backlash, the calendar is sold out, with a waitlist.

Why people are upset

Most of the criticism comes down to value. Shoppers questioned how a box of hair accessories and small trinkets could be worth almost $150. Influencer Kayla Ryan joked while unboxing hers, “I’m hoping this is a prank and the last one is a $150 gift card for all my money back,” TODAY reported.

Others pointed out that SKIMS is a clothing brand, yet the calendar doesn’t include a single piece of clothing. Many posts called it “junk,” a “scam” or the “worst advent calendar ever.” Complex also covered the TikTok reaction.

The jokes that made it go viral

The internet did what it does best. One widely shared post said the calendar “looks like what I’d find on the floor if I pulled my headboard away from the wall.” A Threads user wrote, “I can’t believe I’ve had a Skims Advent Calendar in the bottom of my purse for months, what a surprise.” Another joked that their cat saw the calendar “and won’t shut up about it.”

The other side of the argument

Not everyone piled on. Some pointed out that SKIMS listed what was in the box before people bought it. “If the contents were disclosed, you ignored the description, spent $148, and then acted completely blindsided by what you received, some of that responsibility belongs to YOU,” one user argued, as quoted by TODAY.

That’s a fair point, and it reflects a wider pattern. Beauty and fashion advent calendars have become a big holiday business, and unboxing them on camera is now a tradition of its own. When the reveal doesn’t match the price, the reaction can spread fast. TODAY said neither SKIMS nor Kardashian’s representatives immediately responded to a request for comment.

A quick tip before you buy any advent calendar

Branded advent calendars can be fun, but it helps to do a little math first. Check the listed contents, estimate what you’d pay for each item on its own, and ask yourself whether you’d actually use them. Or, if you enjoy the daily surprise more than the stuff inside, consider building your own with small treats you already know you’ll love.

Why advent calendars keep going viral

Part of the appeal of advent calendars is the slow reveal, and that format is made for social media. Every door is a mini cliffhanger, and creators can stretch a single product into days of content. That works great when the items feel generous, and backfires when they don’t, because viewers can tally the contents in real time and compare them with the price. Brands now plan for unboxing as part of a launch, which means a calendar’s value is debated on TikTok long before most buyers open their own boxes.

The bottom line

The SKIMS calendar sold out anyway, which says a lot about the brand’s pull. But the backlash is a reminder that in the age of unboxing videos, a holiday product gets judged in public, one tiny door at a time.

Image: Cat advent calendar by Ypsilon from Finland via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0