Beauty Brand Review: M2U NYC

I love trying out new makeup brands and products, but the options can be overwhelming. (And if I tried every skincare product I got an Instagram ad for, I’d be broke.) I was offered the chance to try out a few makeup products from a new-to-me makeup brand, M2U NYC, and jumped at the chance. To be honest, during the pandemic I haven’t been wearing as much makeup and I kind of miss it. I don’t miss the time it takes to get ready in the morning before my commute, but I do miss the fun of trying new products and getting glammed up for a weekend event.

M2U NYC is a line of 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and paraben-free makeup. Most of the products are $12 and under (excluding palettes or gift sets), which makes it even better to test out. Another cool fact is that the brand is inspired by and designed in New York City, bringing that energy into every step of product development (like creating packaging using artwork from local students or naming shades after famous NYC streets).

Here are the five products I tried out and my thoughts on each. Please note that these products were provided to be courtesy of M2U NYC, but all opinions are my own.

Metallic Liquid Lip – I have this in the shade “Ann”, which they describe as a “ballet slipper pink”. However, I actually found it to be more of a mid-toned pink (and not a true ballet slipper pink, which I picture to be much lighter). Worn alone, it adds a subtle hint of color and a little shine (hence the “metallic” in the title). I actually prefer it worn alone vs. over lipstick (I tried both and found worn over lipstick it loses its luster a bit).

Matte Lipstick – I have the shade “Queensboro”, which is described as a toffee brown. Like my thoughts above on the liquid lip, I find that this description is lacking — it’s definitely a toffee brown but with hints of pink in it. Trust me, I cannot pull off a straight up brown lip! I’d wear this a lot during fall/winter, as it’s a darker shade than I’m used to. Regarding the formula, for a matte finish, it wasn’t super drying or chalky.

Eye Crayon – Eye makeup can be tricky, but this crayon applicator makes it idiot-proof! I have the gold shade, which is a nice twist on the neutral champagnes and browns I typically wear. The color glides on easily and is very highly pigmented. It also washed off very easily with makeup remover (which is key to me — I hate any makeup that requires me to pull at my delicate eye area just to get it off).

Hydrating Liquid Blush – Surprisingly, this was the product I liked the most. Liquid blushes haven’t been my favorite because they can be hard to apply or too harsh. The small applicator allowed me to put just a few dots on my cheeks and then I blended with my fingers (I’ll probably use a brush in the future, but I was lazy…) I have the shade Mixed Berry which looks nice on my skin tone. A little goes a long way here — start out with a dot or two, blend, and then add more if/as needed.

Cream Blush (Multi-Stick) – I have the shade “Spring Dust”, which is a pigmented coral shade. Lots of these multi-use sticks aren’t as pigmented as I’d like, but this one was the opposite (I used too much the first time I applied it- ha!) The packaging alone makes it worth the price, since it’s great for travel/carrying in your purse for touchups.