Good luck and the smell of home: The top Chinese New Year beauty campaigns

China’s Spring Festival, also known as the Chinese New Year period, is fast approaching. As the most crucial holiday events of the year, major beauty brands have launched limited edition collections to celebrate in the Year of the Dragon.

Below, Jing Daily highlights some of the top marketing campaigns in beauty so far.

Byredo captures the scent of homecoming #

During the Spring Festival, Chinese people usually return to their hometowns to reunite with their families and ring in the new year. Byredo’s Coming Home series honors this tradition of feasting and gathering with a limited edition collection of homeware, described as “the symbiosis of olfactory memories and emotional journeys.”

Working with the Shanghai-based design duo, studio KAE, Byredo presents a series of collectibles that are handcrafted in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. Bridging the continuum of tradition, the porcelain objects are designed with curvilinear forms that pay homage to classical silhouettes while also echoing the roundness of Byredo’s iconic perfume bottle.

In celebration of the Year of the Dragon, Byredo has also launched a pop-up store at The MIXC World Shenzhen. Serving as a seamless extension of this year’s thematic motif, Coming Home, the new space is modeled after a train waiting room, inviting people to pass through on their sentimental journey home for the holiday.

By showcasing its understanding of Chinese customs and holiday sentiments, Byredo strikes a chord with local consumers.

MAC’s Valentine’s Day and Chinese New Year fusion #

In Chinese culture, the dragon holds a significant place among the 12 Chinese zodiac signs. It is believed to be an auspicious and extraordinary creature, symbolizing power, nobility, honor, and success. As such, the Year of Dragon marks a crucial year for the country, full of new opportunities.

With this year’s Spring Festival falling just four days before Valentine’s Day, American beauty company MAC has combined the two holidays to create a special collection called “Lovestruck Luck.”

Inspired by the dragon zodiac, MAC has designed heart-shaped dragon scales to decorate its festive red packaging and product bottles. These two elements — the heart shape and the color red — are classic symbols of love and passion, aligning seamlessly with Valentine’s Day culture.

In a calendar crowded by festivities and shopping carnivals, MAC offers a clever solution to address celebrations that are very close in date.

In China, the unique bottle design, the Asian skin-friendly lipstick shades, as well as the blush and highlight combo have captured the hearts and pockets of young female shoppers. Beauty KOLs on Xiaohongshu, including @isbell, @拎拎o, and @今天星期八, have all raved about the collection.

Documents crafts dragon whiskers for good fortune #

Drawing inspiration from dragon mythology, Chinese luxury fragrance brand Documents has launched a limited edition scent bottle called “Sky Flying Dragon Whiskers”(飞天龙须).

The label has created a fragrance diffuser in the shape of a Chinese antique long-neck bottle, molding the two handles to resemble dragon whiskers. The overall appearance is fluid and striking, like a dragon soaring, connoting an upward ascent in one’s career — a favorable omen.

Chinese consumers appreciate anything related to auspicious blessings during the Spring Festival.

Valentino play on the lucky orange color #

Besides red and gold, orange is also considered a lucky color in Chinese culture. The Mandarin word for orange, ju 橘, sounds similar to the word for good luck, ji 吉. Hence, both the color and the fruit are believed to bring good fortune. Oranges can always be seen on tables during family gatherings and are popular gifts during the Lunar New Year.

This year, Valentino, known for its mastery of color, has launched a limited edition orange beauty gift box called “Warm Sun” (暖阳). The unusual use of the tangerine shade, coupled with blooming metal flowers created by Swiss digital artist Benjamin Muzzin, has helped the packaging stand out against countless Chinese New Year gift boxes.

L’Occitane designs dragon-patterned paper-cut lanterns #

French beauty label L’Occitane has crafted a gift box that doubles as a dragon-patterned paper-cut lantern, which can be lit and hung in the homes of holiday shoppers.

The beautiful gift box contains L'Occitane’s bestselling products, including hand cream, sweet almond shower oil, and essential oil face cream, offering consumers with all-around winter care.

“Whether it’s for friends or family, L'Occitane’s Year of Dragon gift box makes an ideal present,” shares Xiaohongshu user @大地野食蘑菇.

Winona wins the holidays with table card game #

Chinese dermatology skincare brand Winona has planned a year-round series of activities to protect the country’s intangible cultural heritage. Under the hashtag #WinonaSpecialProtectionIntangibleCulturalHeritageAction, Winona is using its influence this time around to promote the culture of Yunnan province.

For the Lunar New Year, Winona has launched its “Beautiful Wishes Come True” gift box, which is inspired by Yunnan's Jiama, a woodcut engraving used for blessing. The packaging and the blessing cards inside the gift box illustrates the intangible cultural heritage. Not only has Winona gained respect from Chinese shoppers, but it has also won the support of the Yunnan local government’s official media.

Diptyque celebrates with Chinese calligraphy #

French Fragrance brand Diptyque has teamed up with Chinese calligraphy artist Ao Hei to spruce up its packaging. The limited edition red box is adorned with vigorous ink strokes and gold foil that complements the golden logo on the bottle, conveying blessings for the Year of the Dragon.

The limited edition fragrance “Diptyque Paper,” made with white musk, rice scent, mimosa, and golden woody notes, evokes the delicate scent of ink when it touches paper. With fragrances becoming increasingly integrated into beauty routines, young local consumers are looking for niche scents to express their taste and personality.

Jo Malone brews good luck #

The Year of the Dragon is also the year of Jo Malone. The British label, known as Zu Ma Long (祖马龙) in Chinese, with the last character meaning dragon, has launched two new fragrances for this special year: “Myrrh and Tonka Bean” and “Red Hibiscus.”

Both fragrances contain precious ingredients. The myrrh is a rare and expensive medical ingredient also known as the “sand gold,” and is contained in a luxurious gold bottle. Meanwhile, the “Red Hibiscus” fragrance, which has notes of striking red hibiscus, is packaged in a red and gold bottle with lantern motifs. The red flower is believed to bring good luck.