Ami Colé is closing: It's time to wake up before another Black-owned beauty brand disappears
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, Coty 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 colour? 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 centred, 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 realise. 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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I don't have this particular swimsuit, but I do have the triangle top and tie bottoms in this pattern and can tell you that it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm obsessed. Prepare to be sick of it from Skims for $190 (available in sizes L–4X and two patterns). A waist chain, since you're all about the details. This is gonna look soooo hot all summer long, omg, send me the pics, bestie. Promising review: "I wanted to try out waist chains as they're so freaking cute. This exceeded my expectations. It's so cute, and such a pretty color. I picked silver cause I feel like it looks better on my skin tone. Product honestly looks just like the picture. I love how it fits so perfectly and how you can adjust the size accordingly. It's honestly way cuter than I expected. —Julianna it from Amazon for $8.99+ (available in three sizes and 12 styles). A Telfar ribbed maxi skirt because it's literally impossible not to look iconic when wearing Telfar. I mean, this skirt is *literal* proof, look at it. 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San Francisco Chronicle
9 hours ago
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Paramount gets green light for $8 billion merger. But what is the psychic cost for company?
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'They want the news media to report on them in a positive light or in the light that they want,' Gomez told MSNBC. 'So they don't want the media to do their job, which is to hold government to account without fear or favor.' How the merger could ripple out across Paramount properties Colbert's slow-motion firing — he'll work until the end of his contract next May — was described by CBS as a financial decision given late-night television's collapsing economics. Colbert's relentless lampooning of Trump, and his criticism of the '60 Minutes' settlement, led to suspicion of those motives. 'Was this really financial?' comic Jon Stewart wondered. "Or maybe the path of least resistance for your $8 billion merger was killing a show that you know rankled a fragile and vengeful president?' Stewart's profane criticism on his own Paramount-owned show may provide its own test for Skydance. 'The Daily Show' is one of the few original programs left on Comedy Central, and his contract ends later this year. In an odd way, Comedy Central's 'South Park' buttresses CBS' claim that the Colbert decision was financial, not political. Creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone delivered an episode this week that depicted a naked Trump in bed with the devil. Paramount just signed Parker and Stone to a new $1.5 billion deal that Skydance executives surely cleared; it makes the entire 'South Park' library available for streaming on Paramount+. a platform where Colbert's show doesn't do nearly as well. Figuring out what to do with others at Paramount's cable networks, or even the networks as a whole, will be an early decision for Ellison, son of multibillionaire and Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. 'There is a clear opportunity to improve Paramount's growth profile by letting those assets go,' analyst Doug Creutz of TD Securities told investors Friday. 'On the other hand, we suspect the Ellisons did not purchase Paramount in order to break it up for parts.' The merger also brings together the Paramount movie studio with one of its most regular partners. David Ellison has been one of the industry's top investors and producers since founding Skydance in 2006. Ellison has a challenge here, too: Years of uncertainty over its future and modest investment in its movie pipeline has shrunk Paramount's market share to last among the major studios. The Paramount+ streaming service has been a money-loser. To revive Paramount, Ellison will look to revamp its streaming operations, leverage its franchises and try to bolster family content. how much of a psychic cost has been extracted.
USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
🎁 Christmas in July? Martha Stewart already dropped an exclusive QVC holiday line
Shop the holiday hosting queen's newest launches at QVC. I know what you're thinking—Christmas shopping in... July? Yes, but with good reason. When Martha Stewart releases a new holiday home decor collection, it is almost like a Bat-Signal for the unofficial start of the holiday season. Her latest drop is here to inspire you to pack up your summer wardrobe, break out the garland decorations and start feverishly writing up your gifting wishlist. After all, she is the holiday hosting queen! And while the outside temperatures might not exactly scream "cozy season" quite yet, with Stewart's new QVC-exclusive holiday decor collection, you can at least make sure your space feels like a winter wonderland. Plus, with QVC's ongoing Christmas in July sale, shoppers can score deals of up to 70% off on select holiday products—including chic home finds that are Martha Stewart-approved. From a faux Blue Spruce Christmas tree to a plaid stoneware serving bowl, browse our top finds from Martha Stewart's QVC holiday home decor collection—available now and on sale for a limited time: Shop Martha Stewart's QVC holiday collection Shop Martha Stewart's QVC-exclusive holiday collection More deals at QVC's Christmas in July sale This year marks QVC's 30th annual Christmas in July sale, a savings event which runs through July 31 and boasts deals of up to 70% off on holiday products sitewide—from cozy home decor essentials to festive serving staples and more. More: Have you seen the TikTok-famous Tarte beauty book? QVC has it for 31% off In celebration of QVC's Christmas in July sale, Martha Stewart—a longtime collaborator of QVC—launched an exclusive holiday home decor collection with the retailer, which features hundreds of new holiday products like Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, hosting must-haves and more.
