Celebrate the Lunar New Year in serpentine fashion with these luxurious (and lucky) beauty picks.
If your January was something of a false start, then set your sights on Lunar New Year instead — a 15-day period of celebration that starts today (January 29) and ends on February 16.
In
The wood snake or serpent signifies a period of transformation, intuition, growth and power, no doubt something we could all do with a dose of as we set our intentions for the year ahead. People born during the year of the snake are characterised by their intelligence, resilience and love (this includes the years 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 2001, 2013 and 2025).
Traditionally, gifting a red envelope (hóngbāo) with money enclosed is the most common form of celebration – an act symbolising good wishes and luck for the year ahead. Otherwise, gifts bedecked in gold and red are equally appropriate and fortuitous, like the ones listed below.
These limited-edition beauty buys pay homage to Lunar New Year’s rich cultural significance, as well as embodying the luck and energetic spirit of the snake. From snakeskin-embossed skincare to red velvet hairstylers, below is our selection of gifts that offer a modern way to celebrate the time-honoured holiday.
A welcome addition to the hair styling arsenal of lazy girls everywhere, Dyson’s Airstrait proved a game-changer when it landed on counters last year – promising wet to dry straightening using only air, without the need for extreme heat. The intuitive tool includes two styling modes – wet or dry – and works to both dry and smooth hair using powerful direction airflow, rather than ceramic plates like a traditional straightener would. Just in time for Lunar New Year, the tech giant has unveiled its series of limited-edition tools, dressed up for the celebrations in fortuitous shades of red velvet and gold.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.A sweet, citrusy-scented interpretation of the abundance that lies ahead in 2025, Glasshouse Fragrances’ limited-edition offering harnesses a mesmerising blend of fine fragrances. An intermingling of fresh orchid, sweet citrus, rich cedarwood and delicate musk, the sold-out scent is housed in a decorative, lime-green ceramic vessel with blooming flowers and a feisty serpent.
Sisley Paris redefines the term “beauty sleep” with its selection of Supremya At Night skincare, four of which come perfectly presented inside the brand’s investment-level set. Each one promises a raft of skincare benefits for mature or ageing skin, working synergistically with the body’s own rest and repair systems that kick into gear overnight. The skin regenerating range couples luxurious textures with high-performance ingredients for a selection of products that make any skincare regime a pleasure to apply.
A bolt of red is sure to brighten up any bathroom, and Malin + Goetz’s bergamot-scented hand and body wash is no exception. For Lunar New Year, the best-seller has turned cherry red and comes embossed with a swirling, half-moon design and sweet blossoms representing luck and prosperity. Inside, the delicate cleansing gel helps wash away dirt, sweat and debris, a metaphor for the fresh start that the New Year represents.
Luxury K-beauty brand Sulwhasoo has revealed a fresh look for its best-selling serum – a white porcelain bottle bedecked with holographic snake scales. The limited-edition design comes housed in a cherry-red box – an aesthetic symbolising luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. As impressive as the packaging is the formula contained within, a hydrating and plumping serum intended to be used as the second step in your skincare regime after cleansing. Not only does it banish any post-cleanse dryness and fortify the skin barrier, but it also preps skin for the steps to follow; think of it like a primed canvas.
Leave it to M.A.C to unveil a limited-edition Lunar New Year collection that’s as much a pleasure to look at as it is to use. Comprising shades to sculpt, highlight and contour, this four-pane palette mimics the texture of snakeskin with its embossed powders. Promising a powder-to-liquid finish, each shade can be smoothed on to a multitude of skin tones, leaving a luminous glow in its wake. Beyond this, the makeup giant has launched serpent-inspired lipsticks in shade-shifting bullets, along with duo-chrome liquid eyeshadows that reference the iridescent nature of snakeskin.
It’s the iconic lipstick renowned the world over, but now the timeless elegance of Rouge Dior has been reimagined in a gilt floral case dreamed up by artist Pietro Ruffo. Intended to signify new beginnings, each lipstick is enriched with floral-infused lip care to drench lips in long lasting, comfortable colour. Viva loves 688 in a veil finish, which delivers a buildable matte colour complete with a blurring effect.
Under the playful tagline: “shed the old, strike gold” comes Lush’s serpentine celebration gifts, ranging from glittering bath bombs and citrusy shower gels through to custom knot wraps in vibrant viper designs. Viva loves Swirl Of Happiness, a sugar scrub that quite literally helps you scrub off the old and welcome the new. It combines caster sugar and fair trade organic cocoa with extra virgin olive, grapefruit and bergamot oils to leave skin hydrated post-slough.
Channelling the glowing ambience of Lunar New Year lanterns comes Bobbi Brown’s new, limited-edition eyeshadow quad, with four shimmering shades in two different finishes. Take your pick from two matte neutrals — Star Beige and Plum Blossom — alongside the iridescent shimmer of Firecracker and Pearl Rose, to create a multitude of celebratory eye looks. The outer packaging showcases the many lanterns visible during the holiday period, which have been embossed in metallic gold.
Treat tresses to the gold standard in haircare this Lunar New Year with Oribe’s litre-sized Hair Alchemy Set. Twinning shampoo and conditioner, the set is enveloped in a textural design that celebrates the year of the snake and the many causes for celebration it brings. If your strands are stressed, dry or damaged, allow Oribe’s hair fortifying set to restore hair to its strong, soft and resilient best.
More beauty
Expert-approved shopping guides, new skincare trends to try, plus industry players to know.
The Best Spa Treatments Around New Zealand To Keep That Holiday Feeling Going In 2025. From Northland to Queenstown, we’ve uncovered the top spa treatments beyond Auckland that are worth trying this year.
A Makeup Artist’s Guide To The Best Makeup Brushes To Buy And How To Use Them. Looking to refresh your stash of makeup brushes? Celebrity makeup artist Rae Morris shares her picks of the best brushes to add to your kit.
From Fashion To Fake Tan: How Content Creator Mary Outram Is Shaking Up The Gradual Tanning Game. New tanning brand Bonnie is delivering safe, sunless tanning options to those with even the most sensitive skin types.
Is Hypochlorous Acid The New Skincare Staple? There’s a much-hyped new ingredient competing for attention in the beauty sphere. Lucy Slight looks at what’s behind the hypochlorous fuss.
