As well as marking the beginning of a new decade, 2020 sees the return of the Year of the Rat — the first of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs, symbolising a fresh start. To mark the Lunar New Year on 25 January, many beauty brands have released limited edition make-up, fragrances and skincare products in red and gold hues and sumptuous packaging to usher in good fortune and celebrate in style. Here’s our selection of the best Chinese New Year beauty buys.
Estée Lauder Fresh New Beginnings Beauty Box, £28
A limited edition beauty box commemorating 2020, the Year of the Rat, features a host of hero products from the likes of Estée Lauder, Origins, Bobbi Brown and Aveda. The Fresh New Beginnings Beauty Box includes Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex Synchronized Recovery (3ml); AERIN Amber Musk Eau de Parfum (4ml); Origins Mega-Mushroom Relief & Resilience treatment lotion (30ml); Bobbi Brown Luxe lipstick in Neutral Rose and Aveda’s Thickening Tonic (10ml) to name a few – for just £28.
esteelauder.co.uk
MAC Lunar New Year Lipstick and Blush Duo, £12.75
A beauty two-in-one to ring in 2020, the MAC Lunar New Year lipstick and blush duo is inspired by the ancient Chinese calendar and is presented in a ‘lucky’ red case with a stunning Chinese New Year-inspired peony and lace design. Featuring not one, but two of MAC’s signature products encased in a handbag-friendly compact, the limited edition makeup is a handbag must-have designed exclusively for the Year of the Rat.
harrods.com
Pat McGrath Golden Opulence Palette, £50
Pat McGrath Labs has launched a sparkling eye palette in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The MTHRSHP Sublime Golden Opulence eyeshadow palette includes six aptly-named shades, including (clockwise from top left): Eternal Opulence, Tranquility, Lotus Luxe, Gold Fortune, Moon Phase and Prosperity. What better pigment to make your eyelids pop for Chinese New Year than the shimmer of Moon Phase or the matte look of Prosperity from the legendary British makeup artist Pat McGrath?
patmcgrath.com
Dior Diorific Happy 2020 Lipstick, £34
Celebrate the Chinese New Year festivities with a powerful pout courtesy of Dior. Diorific Happy 2020 lipstick has a haute-couture finish and comes in an opulent golden ‘jewel’ case. Choose between four new festive shades: Passion, an intense red – a lucky colour according to Chinese superstition; Dream, a magnificent mauve; Charm, a vintage rosy beige and Delight, a pretty and luminous pink. These limited edition lipsticks will give you something to smile about this January.
dior.com
Guerlain Imperiale Eau de Cologne, £76
The very first Eau de Cologne created by Pierre-François-Pascal Guerlain in 1853 has been treated to a sensational limited edition 2020 design in celebration of Chinese New Year. Eau de Cologne Impériale’s distinctive glass bottle has been transformed to red – the colour of luck, which is widely associated with the Lunar New Year. The scent itself combines floral and citrus notes – making it an ideal fragrance to spritz for a fresh new start in 2020 and the Year of the Rat.
guerlain.com
Nars Singapore Eyeshadow Quad, £41
“In with the bold” is the tagline for the Nars limited edition collection of signature buys, inspired by beauty and good fortune in honour of the Lunar New Year. From the luxurious limited selection, the best-seller Singapore Quad Eyeshadow is a treat for your eyes this new year. Now available in a special red case with gold etching for Chinese New Year, the palette includes four high-performance eyeshadows in pale gold, metallic brass, deep rust red and antiqued bronze.
narscosmetics.co.uk
Guerlain Météorites Pearl Powder, £45
Guerlain’s Météorites Limited Edition Light Revealing Pearls of Powder has been given an opulent red and gold makeover for Chinese New Year. Perfect for a winter glow, the violet-fragrance pearls corrects and illuminates complexions – ensuring you step into the new Lunar year with radiant skin. Sweep your brush over the muti-coloured constellation of pearls to defeat dullness and an even glow. Météorites uses ‘Stardust technology’ to create the pearls, which have been a cult Guerlain product since 1987.
guerlain.com
