All The ‘Year of the Dragon’ Beauty Limited Editions That Celebrate CNY

Fierce and majestic, the dragon motifs come in blazing hot across this year’s limited edition beauty items, which honour the Year of the Dragon via creatively-done dragon scales and gold dragon-themed illustrations.

Dancing across bestselling serums and moisturisers, alongside exquisite palettes and lipsticks meant to symbolise luck and prosperity, highlights include shu uemura’s matte lipsticks engraved with dragon scales, and artist collaborations by luxury brands such as Clé de Peau and Lancôme that honour traditional Chinese artwork in modern styles.

Interestingly, with both Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year falling within the same week, we’ve also observed some hidden hearts amidst the dragon scales, seen in makeup collections by NARS and M.A.C for instance. Clearly, this is a sign to put our best faces forward, whether we’re visiting grandma or on our next hot date.

[click on the images below for more info.]

SHU UEMURA INVINCIBLE REDS COLLECTION, from $36 | As one of the more powerful collections this year, shu uemura comes up strong with a fiery festive collection adorned with gold calligraphy-like strokes that resemble the mighty dragon. This year's collection includes their beloved Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil among other favourites such as the Face Colour blush, Hard Formula eye pencil and Petal 55 foundation brush, while there are also limited-edition Kinu Matte lipsticks with dragon scales engraved right into them.

GUERLAIN LUCKY RED LIMITED EDITIONS | In a luxurious red and with a just-as-exquisite dragon scale motif, some of Guerlain's most recognised beauty items come in Lucky Red packaging in honour of the Year of the Dragon. The Rouge G Luxurious Velvet, with a velvet matte finish, comes in a Lucky Red shade ($54) that matches perfectly with the Lucky Red Case ($53); then, there's an exclusive Parure Gold Cushion ($120) adorned in metallic red scales.

GIVENCHY LE ROUGE INTERDIT INTENSE SILK ($65) & PRISME LIBRE LOOSE POWDER ($107) | The Year of the Dragon, incidentally, falls in 1952, the year the house of Givenchy was formed, so we definitely need a collection that honours that legacy here. This one's a subtle one, with a red scale motif and silver highlights going to the Le Rouge Interdit Intense Silk lipstick, as well as the well-lauded Prisme Libre Loose Powder, a quartet of coloured powders that enhance the complexion; a new Pastel Celebration No. 13 harmony, revealed for the occasion, goes further for a shimmering, radiant glow.

LANCÔME CHINESE NEW YEAR ADVANCED GENIFIQUE SERUM, $352 (115ml) | With prebiotics, hyaluronic acid, Vitamin C and so much more loaded into the brand's bestselling serum, you bet your skin — and its microbiome — are in good hands. For added symbolism this CNY though, Lancôme brings on their first artist collaboration for Chinese New Year with London-based Chinese artist Jacky Tsai, with the exquisite east-meets-west Lancôme Loong adorning gift boxes for both the Advanced Génifique Serum and Absolue Soft Cream.

SULWHASOO FIRST CARE ACTIVATING SERUM, $210 (120ml) | The k-beauty brand's top-selling item is known for harnessing advanced Ginseng technology for radiant skin, so of course we'd entrust another Eastern symbol in their hands, this time, the traditional dragon, which elegantly adorns that iconic white bottle. This tribute to the Chinese zodiac sees an artistic amber-coloured dragon as a symbol of authority and power, soaring across with a heart-shaped magic pearl to ring in even more good luck.

TATCHA THE ESSENCE HADASEI - 3 LIMITED EDITION, $190 (150ml), available at Sephora | The Japanese-inspired technology that goes into Tatcha's famous skincare is unrivalled, especially when it comes to this essence that softens, plumps, and resurfaces skin; the Hadasei-3™, for instance, is a proprietary fermented complex of Japanese superfoods including rice, algae, and green tea. As for the Lunar New Year packaging, we see an elegant red gradient bottle with delicate blossoms blooming on its side.

CHARLOTTE TILBURY QUEEN OF LUCK LUXURY PALETTE, $95, available at Sephora | With the confident dragon being one of the luckiest animals in the Chinese zodiac, Charlotte Tilbury gifts us a whole bundle of luck and confidence in a limited-edition Queen of Luck Luxury Palette of multi-reflecting pearlescent pigments and golden hues that flatter the eyes, including an iridescent duo-chrome golden-pink metallic shade called ‘Enhance, which recreates the ethereal glow of moonlight.

BOBBI BROWN GLOW WITH LUCK COLLECTION | Bobbi Brown does dragon scales in bright, celebratory hues across this comprehensive Year of the Dragon collection, which features everything from their Soothing Cleansing Oil ($92) to the Sheer Finish Pressed Powder ($77). Our two picks include the ultra-convenient Blush & Highlight Duo ($69) where we can achieve a gleaming gold all at once, and the glittery Luxe Eye Shadow ($68) in a warm pink rust, which features their new rich glimmer finish for both sophisticated shimmer and soft colour.

LAURA MERCIER YEAR OF THE DRAGON LIMITED EDITIONS, available at Sephora | Here are some beloved bestsellers from Laura Mercier that you want to be equipped with while out visiting, now in bold red hues and a golden dragon motif across the cases of the Blush Color Infusion ($53) and the Translucent Loose Setting Powder and Velour Puff Set ($73); the former even has an embossed dragon on that long-wearing blush, loved for its natural and buildable finish. Complete the look with those Mini Roseglow Caviar Stick Duo for effortless application across the eyelids.

NARS LUNAR NEW YEAR COLLECTION, from $48 | Look on the bright side with some of NARS' bestselling and most reliable formulas, now bearing a striking graphic Lunar New Year motif that looks like folded hearts arranged in a flower pattern. The Quad Eyeshadow features high-impact colours in light champagne gold with silver sparkle, alongside matte apricot and beige, while we've got the Powermatte Lipstick in Start Me Up, a warm pink brown shade that glides on, and stays on too.

M.A.C COSMETICS LOVESTRUCK LUCK COLLECTION, from $29 | From an eyeshadow palette and blushes to mascara and lipsticks, here's a whole series of M.A.C classics, now in "bewitching lucky red-scaled packaging". The warm-toned shades are tempting alright, while the Lustreglass Sheer-Shine Lipsticks impress with their glossy finish for juicy-looking lips, whether you're visiting your grandma or on a Valentine's Day date.

ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS GLOW SEEKER HIGHLIGHTER, $60, available at Sephora | This is a highlighter that gives us the dual benefits of a smooth finish and that beautiful lit-from-within glow, thanks to its unique hybrid baked powder gel formula; essentially, we get the weightless feel of a powder, and the highly-reflective gleam of a liquid formula, perfect for the high points of your face! Additionally, this limited-edition is a red compact with an embossed powder that celebrates the Year of the Dragon.

FRESH POWER OF TEA SERIES | From the Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence ($195) to the Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Serum ($188), Fresh embraces the Year of the Dragon with the promise of clear and healthy skin. The essence, for instance, is extra helpful against pollution and blue light exposure, and is able to deeply penetrates 20+ surface layers in our skin to protect and repair; it's no wonder that its bottle bears a vibrant rendition of the fiercely-protective dragon for Lunar New Year.

CLÉ DE PEAU BEAUTÉ LE SERUM, $300 (50ml) | This year, Clé de Peau has commissioned young Beijing-based artist Xi Wen for an interpretation of her signature intricate metalwork, an ancient technique that's now in its modernised form across the limited-edition Le Serum. The main motif this year is the dragon-shaped “xī”, where we see a plant growing out of the "xi"around the brand's logo; it also represents intelligence, and doubles up as a nod to their breakthrough technology in Skin Intelligence.

KIEHL'S NEW YEAR LIMITED EDITION ULTRA FACIAL CREAM, $64 | A decorative dragon on the jar of the everyone's beloved moisturiser is how Kiehl's has decided to ring in the new year, while everything within the lightweight formula remains the same, including the renewable Glacial Glycoprotein and 4.5% Squalane that gives our skin a formidable 72-hour hydration, all year round!

SK-II X MAISON KITSUNÉ PINK LIMITED EDITION PITERA™ ESSENCE GIFT SET, $328 | Fresh from a recent holiday collaboration, SK-II teams up with fashion house Maison Kitsuné once again for a unique PITERA™ Essence in a chic pink hue, featuring their iconic fox holding a yoga pose to symbolise comfort in one's true state. A glowing aura surrounding the illustration further reflects the glow-from-within benefits of the signature ingredient PITERA, and the confidence and radiance we can achieve thanks to the bestselling essence.

CLARINS DOUBLE SERUM, $190 (50ml) | The beloved anti-ageing serum is known for its impressive formula of 21 active plant extracts, including the star ingredient turmeric, in a light gold colour that's already very auspicious to begin with. Double that luck this year with special-edition packaging created by renowned Chinese artist, Ruan Feifei, which features her signature bold strokes and brilliant colours, of cultural elements in a modern style to symbolise the beauty and strength of dragon.

ORIBE MAGNIFICENT VOLUME SET ($166) & HAIR ALCHEMY LITRE SET ($418) | Oribe's take on CNY is colourful, maximalist packaging of lush paintings in rich jewel tones featuring peony roses, done in collaboration with Australian-Chinese artist Chris Chun in order to welcome the year with gratitude, joy, and prosperity. The latter set includes their award-winning fortifying shampoo and hydrating conditioner in litre bottles, now available for refill with Oribe's sustainable pouches.

PENHALIGON'S THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ARTHUR, $430 (75ml) | Embrace the luck of the dragon with one of Penhaligon's exquisite scents, The World According to Arthur, now with a customisable Limited Edition Dragon Charm. The story behind the scent is one of a lucky son-of-a-Lord looking high and low for his lucky Dragon, and having found it via this Amber Spicy of Vanilla, Incense, Sage, and Ambrette — as well as that unmistakably fierce gold dragon cap.

CLINIQUE EVEN BETTER RADICAL DARK SPOT CORRECTOR + INTERRUPTER ($202), TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING BALM ($61) | These Lunar New Year special editions from Clinique are all about clean, clear and radiant skin, starting with the fan-favourite cleansing balm that's gentle yet effective on skin, to the brightening serum in a jumbo-sized 100ml, bearing an equally radiant and elegant CNY design.

SIGI SKIN ESSENTIALS + BAGUETTE BAG | Some of our skincare essentials from Sigi Skin include the Youth Beam Anti-Ageing Night Serum and Tea-Tox Sheet Mask (we swear by this!), where the local brand has successfully infused their formulas with superfoods and clinically-proven actives for an effective skincare regime that does more good than ever. From now till 14 February, you'll be able to receive your own plush Baguette Bag (worth $59) when you spend at least $168!

All beauty items available at their respective brand stores, unless indicated.