An Open Letter to the Beauty Industry: Don't Let Another Black-Owned Brand Disappear
I'm exhausted. Tired in a bone-deep, soul-sapped, can't-believe-we're-here-again kind of way. I almost didn't write this letter because it feels like déjà vu wrapped in heartbreak. The news that Ami Colé, one of the most beloved Black-owned beauty brands, is shuttering after a wildly successful four-year run is as devastating as it is familiar. We know the stats. They're damning. Less than 0.1 percent of venture capital funding goes to Black women entrepreneurs. That's not just a missed opportunity—it's an intentional failure of imagination, investment, and equity.
I've dedicated my career to celebrating, uplifting, and advocating for diversity and inclusion in beauty. And yet, most days, it feels like I'm preaching to the choir or screaming into the void. I've used every platform I've been blessed to hold—my voice, my bylines, my seat at the proverbial (and sometimes literal) table—to spotlight the undeniable brilliance of Black-owned brands. And still, I watch them disappear one by one.
So now, I'm talking to you: the billion-dollar conglomerates and investors with deep pockets. The legacy houses and corporate giants with the power and purse strings to change the narrative. Yes, I'm talking to you, L'Oréal Groupe, Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Unilever Global, Proctor & Gamble, City Inc., Shiseido Company, e.l.f. Beauty Inc., and all the rest. You with the billion-dollar budgets who know how to write the checks that shift culture and make us all feel oh-so-beautiful. You who made room for Rhode, Drunk Elephant, OUAI, and Hourglass Cosmetics, to name a few (and no shade—those were solid plays). So, let's not pretend the bank accounts are suddenly empty when it comes to funding Black-owned brilliance. There is money. There is infrastructure. There is a proven formula. So, where's the disconnect when it comes to investing in brands that speak deeply, authentically, and powerfully to communities of color? Ami Colé did that—and then some.
This wasn't an underdog story waiting to be fixed. This was a brand that had already done the damn thing. Over $3 million raised. On shelves in 600+ Sephora stores. Media acclaim. Award-winning products. Loved by the likes of Oprah and Martha Stewart. A founder (Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye) who formally worked at L'Oreal and in product development at Glossier. Viral moments. Cult-status glosses. A community that showed up, showed out, and bought in. The consumers did their part. So, why wasn't that enough?
I'm devastated not just for the brand but for what this signals to Black founders everywhere: That even when you build something with intention, revenue, and community, survival is not guaranteed, at least not without deep-pocketed allies who understand both the moral imperative and the market opportunity in protecting this space. Let me say this louder: Black-owned beauty brands aren't just for Black folks. And even when melanin-rich skin or textured hair is centered, there is still undeniable magic. The potential to scale is not a liability—it's an untapped goldmine.
I'm not just calling for charitable donations or feel-good optics. I'm calling for strategic investments. And maybe even for seats on your boards for people like me—those of us who've built careers testing your products (and all your competitors), telling your stories, and turning casual browsers into lifelong consumers. We may not have actual MBAs, but we have MBAs in beauty. We are your brand whisperers, your trend forecasters, your cultural compasses. The question is, will you listen?
I fully understand there are countless layers and valid nuances that make my DEI dreams harder than ever to realize. But right now, I'm writing to you as a devoted beauty storyteller whose professional purpose—and passion—is to help move this industry in the right direction.
So, I will continue to dream of a world where I have the capital to be the one writing ginormous checks. But since I don't (yet), I will continue to use my voice to push those who do. Because Black and brown beauty deserves more than a moment. It deserves momentum—real and everlasting.
This isn't about calling you out—I'm lovingly calling you in. Let this not be another eulogy. Let this be a turning point.
With urgency, hope, and light,
Julee Wilson
Julee Wilson is Beauty Editor at Large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was Beauty Director at Cosmo and Global Beauty Director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. She counts herself lucky AF that she gets to play with beauty products for a living and tell dope stories. And if you're as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
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