Glamzilla is facing renewed scrutiny from beauty fans after her reviews of luxury advent calendars prompted questions about sponsored content, genuine reactions and the rising prices of holiday beauty collections. The beauty creator's Dior advent calendar unboxing was explicitly labelled as an advertisement on TikTok. A screenshot of the post shows the hashtag #AD in its caption, alongside a visible 'Paid partnership' disclosure. The video, titled 'UNBOXING A $900 DIOR ADVENT CALENDAR??????', invited viewers to open the luxury set with her.
Reddit users questioned the presentation of the unboxing and whether the creator's reactions were genuine. Some commenters took issue with what they perceived as exaggerated surprise, while others focused on the commercial nature of the content.
Dior's Hefty Price Tag
Dior lists its 2026 Le 30 Montaigne Beauty Advent Calendar at $800 (£600), rather than $900 (£672). The limited-edition collection contains 24 surprises, including fragrance minis, make-up products, skincare items, a candle and decorative ornaments.
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The calendar includes products from Dior's fragrance, make-up, and skincare ranges, such as Rouge Dior lipstick and a miniature Dior Prestige La Crème. Its presentation adds to the luxury appeal, though the price has inevitably invited comparisons with more affordable holiday collections.
SKIMS Also Faces Backlash Over Its $148 Calendar
Dior is not the only brand whose advent calendar has drawn criticism this holiday season. SKIMS has faced a separate wave of complaints over its $148 (£110) 12-day Accessories Advent Calendar, with shoppers questioning whether the contents justify the price.
The calendar includes small accessories such as hair elastics, satin scrunchies, bobby pins, clips, keychains and other SKIMS-branded items. Although the brand presented the box as a festive accessories collection, some social media users argued the products looked too ordinary to justify the price.
The backlash became particularly visible after an unboxing video attracted widespread attention online. Page Six reported that the viral TikTok had accumulated more than 45 million views. SKIMS later said it contacted customers who bought the calendar and offered a full refund or store credit if the product didn't meet their expectations.
Reddit Users Question the Reviews and the Value
The discussion surrounding Glamzilla's videos reflects a wider debate about beauty influencers and the relationship between product reviews and paid partnerships. Disclosures such as #AD and 'Paid partnership' are intended to make commercial relationships visible to audiences, but they do not necessarily prevent viewers from questioning the tone or credibility of a review.
Glamzilla's Dior post disclosed its advertising relationship, while Reddit users' criticism centred on how the unboxing was presented. A paid partnership can be properly disclosed while viewers remain free to question whether a creator's enthusiasm feels convincing.
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Advent Calendars Became a Luxury Marketing Trend
The advent calendar tradition has religious roots, with early calendars used to mark the days leading up to Christmas through devotional images, Bible verses and other reminders of the Advent season. The format later evolved into commercial countdowns, including chocolate-filled versions that helped turn the tradition into a familiar part of the holiday shopping season.
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As Yahoo Life reported in 2024, the modern advent calendar has increasingly become a vehicle for brands to sell beauty, fashion and lifestyle products, while social media has helped transform the daily ritual into a spectacle of unboxing videos. Marketing experts cited in the report pointed to the appeal of anticipation and surprise, but also noted how opening all the compartments in one sitting changes the original experience.
The Dior and SKIMS backlash raises a question that goes beyond Glamzilla's reviews: has the advent calendar become less about anticipation and more about consumption? For shoppers, the appeal of a daily surprise may remain. But as luxury calendars become increasingly expensive, brands may find that the biggest reveal is not what customers discover inside, but whether they believe the contents were worth the money.
