After holding director positions at top beauty brands such as L’Oréal and Estee Lauder, Amy Chou Granger decided to take a leap of faith within her career by creating M2U NYC. Ultimately, the businesswoman realized how unreasonable high cosmetic competitors’ prices could be. To Granger, brands were overspending on high-end photoshoots and celebrity marketing deals, without accepting that “customers could care less about it,” says Granger. As a result, she applied her knowledge with e-commerce beauty analytics and customer journey insights to launch M2U NYC.

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“Spending about a decade working for some of the world’s biggest beauty brands gave me a unique insight into everything that goes into a brand,” says Granger. She continues with, “For example, $42 for lipstick is a 2000% markup of what it costs to make. Our lipsticks provide the same high quality and are $6.”

The Asian-American beauty veteran’s goal is to create affordable products that give makeup lovers a different choice to experiment with different looks with high-quality makeup. To cater to ingredient conscious Gen-Z and millennial consumers, the New York native brand is vegan and cruelty-free. Since launching in March of 2020, M2U NYC has debuted over twenty products, including eye crayons, blushes, highlighters, and everything in between. Below you’ll discover our editor’s top picks, Granger’s biggest industry lessons, and more.

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Inclusivity & Accessibility

The beauty veteran’s mission is to bring budget-friendly, high-quality cosmetics to its consumers by leveraging its relationships with the world’s best manufacturers. With this approach, the M2U NYC Cosmetics provides rich pigmented products at the lowest price possible, so makeup lovers everywhere could enjoy them. Makeup trends are different in all parts of the world and in all cultures. “Everyone can experiment, have fun and create new routines without feeling guilty about overspending,” Granger further expresses. 

Additionally, the Taiwanese co-founder is empowering buyers to formulate their own beauty standards, not the one society has imposed on us. She remembers the first time going to a department store’s beauty counter and feeling a bit uneasy about the results. “My friends took me to Macy’s, and this my first time getting my makeup done at a beauty counter,” says Granger, adding, “I could hardly recognize myself in the mirror -I think it’s because I didn’t feel comfortable looking like someone else. It wasn’t my style.”

Beauty Editor Picks

“I’ve tested a number of eye primers, and as a person who has oily lids, I am very impressed with M2U NYC Eye Primer, $8, which just launched this month,” says LW Beauty Editor Ashley Jimenez. She continues with, “It’s lightweight, has a powdery finish and even water-resistant which allows me to create a fierce colorful eye look for Spring.”

“The M2U NYC Eye Crayons, $4 are smooth, creamy, and have a gorgeous shimmery finish. With that price point, you truly can’t go wrong. Not to mention they are the perfect product to use when getting ready quickly thanks to the easy application,” expresses Jimenez. She continues with, “As we move into Spring, I’ve been playing with the Electric Blue and Greenwich V shades.”

Left to Right: Eye prime, $8, Eye cayons, $4, BKB eyeshadow palette, $12, Cream Blush Multi-Stick, $7

Another editor’s top-pick is BKB Eyeshadow Palette, $12. “It’s the perfect palette to grab when using those more neutral brown and auburn hues with a mix of both matte and shimmer finishes.” expresses Ashley. She continues with, “I admire the fact that Amy turned to local NYC students to design the fun and chic palettes.”

“If you’re looking for a holy-grail 2-in-1 beauty product, the brands Cream Blush Multi-Stick, $7, works as a highlighter, blush, and lip gloss,” reveals Jimenez. She continues, “On some occasions, it’s simply just my highlighter or all of the above.”

Beauty Industry Lesson

According to the M2U NYC Co-Founder, listening to customers is essential. “When I began working at Kiehl’s, which is under by L’Oréal, I was shocked the brand required all corporate new hires to spend their first week at the job working in the flagship store,” emphasizes Granger. She continues, “Helping customers taught me to zero in on consumers’ needs and wants.”

Latina Celebrity Beauty Inspiration

“Eva Longoria is one of my favorite Latina celebrities,” exclaims the Asian-American boss. “She is magnificent inside and out, talented, and so authentic. She is aging so naturally and beautifully, plus she’s 5’2 and commands every space she comes into,” says Granger. The former beauty director was recently blown away by Eva’s dancing scene in the Amazon Prime film Sylvie’s Love starring Tessa Thompson and Nnamdi Asomugha.