Auspicious limited edition Chinese New Year beauty buys for the Year of the Rat: Nars, L’Occitane, Pat McGrath...

If it seems as if things are happening at a breakneck pace this year, it's because they are. Sure, it was just last week we donned our Santa hats and sang about sleigh bells ringing, but it feels like a distant memory in light of the oriental décor, snacks, and music gracing our favourite spaces. Chinese New Year is upon us — bringing about another round of feastin', festivities, and limited edition beauty products to scoop up. Think a bountiful selection of exclusive makeup and skincare to tempt even the biggest skinflints to bust out their credit cards. Don't say we didn't warn ya. Watch this space for updates.

Hourglass No. 28 Lip Treatment Oil

Slicking on this brick-red hue does more than up your huat. Instead, you get a formulation that goes above and beyond — its formidable blend of essential oils and vitamins boosts your pout's shape, volume, and softness. Consider it necessary for all the snacking that's about to go down.

Carolina Herrera Good Girl Chinese New Year Edition

The brand's best-selling fragrance is not exempt from the CNY treatment. Encased within a box embossed with lanterns and the iconic Carolina Herrera heel, each purchase of this sensual scent entitles customers to a Good Girl rollerball (10ml) and eight lucky red packets. We smell a good deal.

Gucci Bloom Ambrosia Di Fiori

You'll need a fragrance that holds its own against food smells and your aunt's overpowering perfume. That's where the latest Gucci Bloom scent comes in, with a vibrant, floral bouquet. The tenacious velvety orris and iris persists — and lingers — for hours on end.

Jurlique Lunar New Year Limited Editions

Renowned artist, Adriana Picker, gives the fan favourite Activating Water Essence and Rose Body Oil a new lease of life this season. Each offering now comes with hand-drawn illustrations depicting botanicals found within its formulations all splashed out on cherry red bottles.

Supergoop New Year, New Skincare Routine Kit

The Lunar New Year isn't too late a time to get started on a new-and-improved skincare regime. For those constantly foregoing essentials such as sunscreen and moisturiser, scoop up this kit which comprises makeup-gripping primers, lightweight moisturising offerings, and SPF. Naturally, it comes wrapped up in a big red box.

Estée Lauder Chinese New Year Collection

Clouds might form the main motif in Estée Lauder's limited edition range, but that doesn't mean it's all grey skies ahead. Inspired by how clouds herald the arrival of gods in our favourite folklores, the dreamy print is featured on their star products, gracing the Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, the Pure Colour Envy Lipstick, and the Beautiful Belle Eau de Parfum. Hmm, is it a stretch to consider 'em works of art? Nah.

Jo Malone Chinese New Year English Pear & Freesia Limited Edition Collection

Cut through the scent of CNY delicacies and steamboat with the brand's much-loved fragrance. Its fresh, citrusy fragrance serves as a palate cleanser to richer aromas, and comes decked out in red-and-gold embellishments should your relatives accuse you of being a Grinch. Win-win.

Tom Ford Beauty Limited Edition Lip Colours

Flaunting your favourite Tom Ford lipstick just got a whole lot easier with its seasonal packaging. Best-selling shades — Velvet Cherry, Night Mauve, and Jasmine Rouge — are now encased in a striking, cherry-red tube that you'll be able to spot from a mile away.

Christian Louboutin Beauty Gift Box

Who says the spirit of giving should be limited to Christmas? Surprise your loved ones with a box set of Louboutin lippies enclosed in a decorative red sleeve. Embellished with images of rats, red-bottomed heels, and CNY greetings, it sure makes for a propitious — yet practical — present. Available in a set of three or seven.

Nars Chinese New Year Collection

Fan-favourite offerings get a facelift in the form of striking red cases etched in gold, a perfect complement to the brand's line-up of bold, audacious formulations. With the full range comprising shadows, lip balms, cushions, and beyond, it's safe to say Nars has your moneymaker covered this CNY.

Pat Mcgrath Golden Opulence Eyeshadow Palette

Opulence sure is the word for it. Expect six richly pigmented, lush shadows in propitious hues of red and gold that blend like a dream — all of which are housed in a glamorous gilded case to add flair and panache to any vanity. Add to cart, stat.

Charlotte Tilbury Limited Edition Lunar New Year Magic Cream and Matte Revolution Lipstick in Magic Red

As much as we're fans of CT's rose-gold packaging, there's just something about this intense red hue that adds a certain oomph to the cult classic Magic Cream and Matte Revolution Lipstick. Statement-making, indeed.

L'Occitane Immortelle Reset

This best-selling serum promises a luminous, even-toned complexion in just seven days, so get ready for those compliments to start raining in at every house visit. Did we mention that it also comes in an upsized edition this Lunar New Year so you'll be able to keep that glow going over the next few months? How thoughtful.

Etude House Tom & Jerry Lucky Together Collection

For those young at heart, there's no better way to ring in the Year of the Rat than with one of the most beloved animated rodents out there. Innisfree has dibs on Mickey, while Etude House has opted for old-school dynamic duo Tom & Jerry. The cat-and-mouse cartoon adorns everything from lip tints to powder compacts this season.