We’re celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by spotlighting spotlighting AAPI-owned brands on Abound and using our platform to share their stories in their own words.
Meet Amy Granger of M2U NYC—high quality and stylish makeup at affordable prices, 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free. Learn more about Amy’s story below, and browse M2U NYC on Abound. 🚀
“I started my makeup brand M2U NYC after over a decade of working as a beauty executive and thinking to myself, “makeup doesn’t have to be this expensive.” Seeing millions of dollars traditional makeup brands would spend on things like celebrity marketing and luxury photoshoots (and consequently, the high markup on their products), I figured there was a different way to do things. I created M2U to provide high quality vegan makeup at mind-blowing prices. M2U stands for M(akeup) 2 U, and NYC is an ode to the city where the brand was born. We reject the old way the beauty industry works, and eliminate all the expensive and wasteful add-ons to provide a truly inclusive makeup line with Quality, Style, and Value to all makeup lovers.
M2U is about feeling confident in your own style. I think this was mainly inspired by my Taiwanese culture and my own experience with makeup. I was born and raised in Taiwan and came to the U.S. to pursue my graduate degree. Growing up in Asia, I was not exposed to makeup since most people in Taiwan didn’t wear makeup until they started working full-time. My first makeup experience was in my mid 20’s when my friend took me to Macy’s and got me a beauty makeover. I remember that I could hardly recognize myself in the mirror because it was not my style, and I didn’t feel comfortable looking like someone else. Makeup trends are different in all cultures. With the launch of M2U, I want to empower everyone to formulate their own beauty standards. I want to give people tools to experiment, have fun and create new routines without feeling guilty about overspending.
While growing up in Taiwan I never felt under-represented, but that completely changed when I moved to the U.S. Up until I moved to the U.S. I was very outspoken and extroverted. But in a new country, I had to not only adjust to a new culture, but the new language was quite the challenge. It took me several years to overcome the language barrier and start feeling like myself again. I still remember the day I woke up from a dream and realized I was no longer dreaming in Mandarin Chinese but English. That’s the day I knew I would be fine going forward.
Today, I am so proud of how my Taiwanese roots and NYC life have inspired my business and I plan to continue to use that inspiration as I grow M2U.”
— Amy Granger
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