Lunar New Year 2021: celebrate the Year of the Ox in true oriental style
The Year of the Ox is fast approaching, so celebrate in style with a beautiful selection of gifts to exchange with friends or family
Estée Lauder Limited Edition Pure Color Envy Lipstick in Immortal, £27.50
In Chinese tradition, red is considered a colour of luck, happiness and fortune, and we think it also happens to brighten up a lock-down make-up routine too.
Estée Lauder Limited Edition Pure Color Envy Lipstick in Immortal, £27.50 – buy here
Monse black cut-out wool-blend jumper, £990
This subtly sexy knit can be dressed up or down, meaning it can do double duty in your wardrobe, plus it will help keep you warm if you're planning a garden fireworks display to welcome the Year of the Ox. For extra fun, wear with a hint of red bra peeking through.
Monse black cut-out wool-blend jumper, £990 – buy here
Gentle Monster Seesaw acetate sunglasses, £194
Korean brand Gentle Monster cleverly blends luxury with an edgy aesthetic to create modern eyewear to rival the big designers. Take this tone-on-tone pale pink pair with metal finishing on the arms: the future is looking rosy.
Gentle Monster Seesaw acetate sunglasses, £194 – buy here
NARS Chinese New Year Eyeshadow Quad, £41
Bold packaging belies the soft neutrals captured within: from lovely burnished, shimmery golds to pretty naturals, these shades will enhance all eye colours.
NARS Chinese New Year Eyeshadow Quad, £41 – buy here
Chinese Paper Lanterns, £10.99
Add a bit of Chinoiserie to your home, with some beautiful fabrics from the London Fabric Company or Jane Clayton, with paper lanterns scattered around, all with the relaxing strains of traditional Chinese music playing in the background.
Chinese Paper Lanterns, £10.99 – buy here
Rejina Pyo Elliot white broderie anglaise blouse, £375
London-based, Seoul-born designer Rejina Pyo has an amazing instinct for what women really want, making her tightly edited collections beloved of both the Insta-crowd and the best-dressed IRL. She's also the author of a brilliant Korean cookery book, perfect for rustling up a Lunar New Year feast at home.
The oversized collar trend is going nowhere (thanks, Zoom) and this version is one of the most special we've seen.
Rejina Pyo Elliot white broderie anglaise blouse, £375 – buy here
Shiseido Power Infusing Concentrate Limited Edition, £120
It's won over 150 beauty awards and one bottle is sold every nine seconds so it could be said to be one of the biggest-selling serums worldwide. It now comes in super-prettied-up limited-edition packaging too.
Shiseido Power Infusing Concentrate Limited Edition, £120 – buy here
Self-Portrait red guipure lace minidress, £300
If a party invitation arrives and your thoughts automatically turn to Self-Portrait, you've got Han Chong to thank. The Malaysian-born Central Saint Martins-educated designer changed the way we dress up to go out with his affordably priced, fun and feminine guipure lace dresses.
This hot little number in lucky red is perfect for a Lunar New Year party but can be worn for almost any occasion.
Self-Portrait red guipure lace minidress, £300 – buy here
Charlotte Tilbury Limited Edition New Year Magic Cream, £75
You can hardly celebrate Lunar New Year without a glass-like dewy complexion, and Charlotte Tilbury's Magic Cream can give you just that – without the 10-step skincare regime.
Charlotte Tilbury Limited Edition New Year Magic Cream, £75 – buy here
Jimmy Choo Youth black leather ankle boots, £695
While Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi still creates the sort of fantasy footwear that makes us yearn to get dressed up and go out out again, in recent years, the brand's more casual offering has had us dream-scrolling too.
Take the brand's biker boots: the perfect balance between stompy and chic, they look great with everything from jeans to dresses.
Jimmy Choo Youth black leather ankle boots, £695 – buy here
Armani Beauty Lip Maestro Lacquer, £32.50
A beautiful burnt-red hue comes in a matt texture that's both a pleasure to apply and comfortable to wear.
Armani Beauty Lip Maestro Lacquer, £32.50 – buy here
Youda Black & Gold Chopstick and Spoon Set, £15.99
Re-usable, eco-friendly, anti-slip and easy to grip – these will help you to slurp noodles in style.
Youda Black & Gold Chopstick and Spoon Set, £15.99 – buy here
Huishan Zhang Astra feather-trimmed woven mididress, £2,250
If your Lunar New Year plans are a bit more festive than bingeing on Bling Empire, then this could be the frock for you: evidently special and yet stunningly simple, it's the sort of piece that could be worn by your grandchildren in decades to come.
Huishan Zhang Astra feather-trimmed woven midi-dress, £2,250 – buy here
Jo Malone Scarlet Poppy Cologne Intense, £134
Immerse yourself in a scent inspired by the vast, fiery blankets of poppy fields found in the Eastern Steppes. It's a bold and seductive spritz with an aura that radiates and grows as you wear it.
Jo Malone Scarlet Poppy Cologne Intense, £134 – buy here
Baijiu Weichow Maotaizhen five-year-old Baijiu, 500ml, £165
Capture the real spirit of China with this super-premium spirit. Aged like whisky but in earthenware pots and distilled from a gluten-free grain, it's the perfect tipple to enjoy at your dining table.
Baijiu Weichow Maotaizhen five-year-old Baijiu, 500ml, £165 – buy here
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