Gwyneth Paltrow’s lifestyle brand Goop is once again at the center of online controversy after unveiling a $1,300 adult-themed advent calendar as part of its new luxury holiday gift guide. The collection, which also includes unusual items like pasta-scented candles and a $1,400 ashtray, has divided audiences — with some praising its creativity and others calling it “disrespectful” and “repulsive.”
As the festive season approaches — with familiar traditions like Mariah Carey’s return and Starbucks’ seasonal drinks — Goop has taken a more provocative route. Paltrow’s 2025 holiday gift guide focuses on high-end indulgence and erotic luxury, blending sophistication with shock value rather than cozy, family-friendly holiday cheer.
At 53, Paltrow has curated several themed lists, from fashion and wellness to what she describes as “self-pleasure.” Among them, the “pleasure-seekers” edition features extravagant products such as Finding Ferdinand’s Black Lip Balm, a $2,700 Real Fine Studio signet ring, Goop’s own Sex Oil, and even a $780 dice set designed for adult play.
But the most talked-about feature is the Kiki De Montparnasse advent calendar — a nine-drawer collection of luxury sex toys priced at $1,285. Described as a way to “unlock new ways to play,” the calendar includes a bullet vibrator, gold-plated handcuffs, nonstick PVC restraint tape, and other intimate accessories blending seduction and high-end craftsmanship.
The calendar’s inclusion has sparked strong reactions on social media. One user on X wrote:
“Goop never fails to surprise. Gwyneth Paltrow’s holiday guide has once again turned gift-giving into an art form of extravagance. It’s less about shopping and more about pure curiosity at what counts as a ‘holiday essential’.”
Another criticized Paltrow more harshly, saying:
“Advent is a religious holiday that Paltrow has now disrespected. How Hollywoodish of her. How about a Hanukkah one?? Yeah thought so.”
A third user added:
“At this point, I hear Goop and/or Gwynbo’s name associated with schmex toys and things like that and I’m instantly repulsed and have zero interest in that product.”
For those who find the calendar too much, Goop’s list still offers plenty of eyebrow-raising luxury items, from a $70 pasta water candle to a $1,400 ashtray, continuing the brand’s reputation for pushing boundaries.
This isn’t the first time Goop has stirred controversy with its unconventional products. The company famously made headlines years ago for selling a candle called “This Smells Like My Vagina.”
Recalling how it started, Paltrow said:
“You know that product is so fascinating because we were messing around with different scents one day, and I smelled something and I was like, ‘Oh, that smells like… You know.’”
Heretic perfumer Douglas Little, who collaborates with Goop, decided to take the idea seriously.
“He [Douglas] was like, ‘Oh, we should make that a candle and put it on the site.’ And I thought he was kidding, and I was like, ‘Yeah, definitely. That sounds like a winner right there’.”
Despite the controversy, the candle went on sale in 2020, becoming one of Goop’s most infamous items. Paltrow later explained her reasoning for keeping it on the site:
“I kept it on the site because there is an aspect to women’s sexuality that I think we’re socialized to feel a lot of shame and I sort of loved this kind of punk rock idea.”
Defending her approach, she added:
“We are beautiful and we are awesome,”
before responding bluntly to critics:
“Go f*** yourself.”
With Goop’s latest holiday guide, Paltrow once again proves she’s unafraid to provoke — turning luxury shopping into a mix of outrage, fascination, and unapologetic indulgence.
