Lunar New Year anti-haul

Happy Lunar New Year!

Just kidding, it’s not actually until February.

But sometime in the last few years, it’s become de rigueur for brands to release a bunch of stuff for Lunar New Year. I never really noticed it because I live in the U.S. and it’s not something that’s celebrated everywhere, but now, immediately after Christmas, bam! Everything is red and gold. I don’t hate it, and I like that we’re acknowledging some other cultures.

What I don’t love is… well, we’ll get into it.

MAC Lunar Illusions collection

If I said I didn’t love the packaging of these products you’d all know I was a filthy liar. It’s fucking gorgeous. MAC knows it’s gorgeous, but that’s where the appeal ends for me.

Because do you know what’s inside most of this gorgeous packaging? Existing products The highlighter, lipsticks, glosses and both shades of the blush are some of their current popular products. Only the eyeshadow palette is a new product.

This is fine for people who don’t own a lot of makeup or are just getting into MAC, but I don’t own a lot of MAC stuff and even I have one of the lipsticks and one of the blushes. Like, I feel like the first MAC lipstick people buy is Ruby Woo. So this feels like a cash grab, and I don’t love it.

Colourpop Lunar New Year collection

I love me some Colourpop for myriad reasons, not least of which is the adorable packaging and the affordable price. This collection is also cute and affordable but these are all existing, or previously released, products. This is a company that releases new products every time we breathe, but they couldn’t come up with something new for this collection?

Sephora Lunar New Year roundup

Fenty Beauty – their Stunna lip paint in the OG red, Uncensored, with their most popular highlighter duo. The only saving grace is that they’re both full-size, so we can save a couple bucks.

Urban Decay – All Nighter, but in a red bottle. Revolutionary!

Too Faced – a highlighter that’s been out for years, but in a cute new box. Woo?

Benefit – the same shit they put in every holiday kit. This time, it’s not even clear which holiday they intend it for since the box is covered in hearts, and rats with hearts. I guess they’re trying for a two-fer, since Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year are only a couple weeks apart. Creative.

Guerlain – Meteorites, but in a red box that’s extremely similar to the original packaging.

Obviously I’m not buying any of this because it’s a blatant cash grab and it feels a bit icky.

However.

There are a couple of items coming out that are actually new releases, and I’m interested.

Hourglass N° 28 Lip Treatment Oil in At Night

Right now this shade is only available as a Confession lipstick. I don’t own it, but I love it, and I’m interested in trying their lip oils. They look really pretty and I don’t own anything like it, so why not get the color I’ve been lusting after in a new format? The only thing here that’s decorated for Lunar New Year is the box though, and that’s kind of lame for a holiday release.

Pat McGrath MTHRSHP Sublime: Golden Opulence Eyeshadow Palette

I dig this. It’s very wearable, and I’m into the sparkly red external packaging. It looks a lot like some of the other palettes she’s released recently so I don’t know that I’d choose it over one of the others, but I don’t hate it. They’re also releasing two gloss sets, each with two existing shades and a new shade. They’re nothing groundbreaking, just like the palette, but they’re pretty.