Latest news with #AmiColé
Elle
22-07-2025
- Business
- Elle
Ami Colé Wasn't Just Makeup—It Was a Love Letter to Us
As I write this, scrolling through Ami Colé's website feels like a dream for beauty obsessives like me—Black, chronically online, and armed with a wallet awaiting their next purchase. The beloved Lip Oil that earned permanent real estate in every Black girl's bag since launch? Now slashed to half its original price of $20. The dense, malleable Complexion Brush that applies cream and liquid formulas with ease? Marked down, too. The waterproof lip liner that hugged the edges of the Lip Oil's glossy finish. The Foundation Stick with the kind of undertone that melted into your skin in a single swipe. One second, I was adding items to the cart, and the next, my total ballooned. And as I hit 'place order,' the sigh that left my chest wasn't relief—it was grief. The confirmation email landed in my inbox, and it didn't come with the usual rush of excitement. Instead, it sat there like a slight ache. Ami Colé is closing, and with that comes the quiet heartbreak of losing one of the few beauty brands created with Black women in mind—by someone who looked like us, understood our skin, our undertones, our routines, and our struggles. Launched in 2021 by Glossier veteran Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye, Ami Colé combines the influences of Harlem and Senegal that shaped N'Diaye-Mbaye's sense of beauty, named after her mother. What began as an Instagram focus group during the nascent stages of building Ami Colé transformed into a full-fledged community championing a brand that delivered results. The products and support spoke for themselves, and as a result, Ami Colé eventually raised over $3 million in funds and secured real estate in more than 600 Sephora stores after launching in the retailer in 2022. Ami Colé's signature tangerine packaging became our version of Tiffany Blue—instantly recognizable, deeply cherished, and proudly displayed on vanities, in makeup bags, and TikTok makeup tutorials. However, Ami Colé's orange signaled something more radical: accessibility, intention, and a sense of belonging. It didn't whisper exclusivity from behind a glass case—it smiled back at you with familiar warmth, saying, You're seen. You're centered. You're home. We weren't fed too-red, barely-deep, or far-too-ashy finishes. In fact, natural, everyday dewiness was the cornerstone on which Ami Colé was built. Excellence was many customers' first love—a deep chocolate tint that was light enough for your lips' natural hue to shine but pigmented enough to offer a subtle brown veil (even better when paired with the Midnight or Cafe Touba lip liners, which arrived years later). Some found a home in the white tube of the satin-finish Skin-Enhancing Tint. I found relief after swiping the former's offshoot, Skin-Enhancing Stick, which connected with my neutral (sort of golden) undertones to reveal a filter-like drydown I hadn't experienced with any other complexion stick. (Read our review here.) Few brands made me feel this considered, this prioritized, this seen. Ami Colé didn't just make good products; it was home for the ridges on our two-toned lips, pining for an everyday glossy (not sticky) finish, or the different textures and tones on our skin just looking for a complexion boost. Or as founder N'Diaye-Mbaye puts it in her farewell op-ed in The Cut, 'Better yet, we were on the shelves of the people whose needs matched what our products offered.' You didn't need to be Black to shop at Ami Colé and understand its messaging, which was abundantly clear: these products are designed to solve the issues that Black consumers had battled for decades. Gone were the days of scathing social media uproar in brands' comments following a lazy complexion launch that left us with three deep shades and numerous light ones. We didn't need to wait for a brand's second-round relaunch after consulting with a Black influencer. Ami Colé got us the first time. A purchase meant more than supporting a Black-founded, Black-marketed brand; it was a signal to beauty's behemoths and corporations that intentional branding, thoughtful research and development, and community building are not insurmountable tasks. The road wasn't easy, but when is it ever for a Black founder? Still, N'Diaye-Mbaye kept the mission afloat even when she was drowning herself. However, even with best-selling SKUs, a legion of Ami Colé devotees, and a laundry list of accolades built in four years, N'Diaye-Mbaye explains that Ami Colé couldn't outrun damning expectations from investors who rallied behind the brand's inclusive messaging when inclusivity and diversity were the buzzwords du jour during the height of George Floyd protests, but ultimately sang a new song under the scope of today's anti-DEI world. 'We've got this president, climbing tariffs, and marketing costs that are brutal for small brands like mine. And while my story isn't unique, it still hurts to watch an industry preach inclusivity while remaining so unforgiving,' she explains. Soon—September 2025, to be exact—there will be a world in which my Lip Oil will run out, brushes will lose their muscle, and lip liners will be worn to the nub. So yes, I stocked up. But more than that, I'm holding onto the feeling this brand gave me—one of joy, pride, and reflection, because that's the part you can't just reorder. And while we won't be able to restock forever, we can savor what we have now. Below, ELLE editors rounded up a few of their Ami Colé favorites, products that made us feel most like ourselves—and that we'll be using down to the very last drop.
Fashion Network
21-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Melanin-rich skin beauty brand Ami Colé to close
Black-owned beauty brand Ami Colé has announced plans to shutter operations this September, with brand founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye saying she couldn't compete with "the deep pockets of corporate brands." N'Diaye-Mbaye, who founded Ami Colé in 2021, cut her teeth at L'Oréal and Glossier before creating her minimalist makeup brand for "melanin-rich skin." In the last four years, Ami Colé drew investments from L'Oréal's Bold venture capital arm, True Beauty Ventures, Imaginary Ventures, Greycroft and Debut Capital. In 2022, the brand inked a milestone retail partnership with LVMH -owned beauty retailer, Sephora, across the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, at the time of its L'Oréal investment, the brand was said to have grown its revenue 75 percent the previous year, according to a press release. In a letter written for The Cut, N'Diaye-Mbaye said that part of her company's downfall was competition from more prominent companies that had bigger financial backing. 'I couldn't compete with the deep pockets of corporate brands; at retail stores, prime shelf space comes at a price, and we couldn't afford it," she said. The entrepreneur went on to thank her fans and investors via her brand's Instagram account. "After four powerful and soul-stretching years, l've made the hard decision to wind down Ami Colé. What started as a mission to create clean beauty for melanin-rich skin became a movement and a metaphoric home for so many of you (just like what my mother built with her salon). We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are," said N'Diaye-Mbaye. "Let's not forget bomb ass products! This moment is bittersweet. You've witnessed me start from a sketch in my Brooklyn apartment to the shelves of every Sephora in North America in four years. Thank you for everything you've taught me about living your dreams out loud." The announcement comes after beauty heavyweights Estée Lauder, Coty, and Shiseido Americas announced plans to reduce their workforce, signalling industry-wide headwinds.
Fashion Network
21-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Melanin-rich skin beauty brand Ami Colé to close
Black-owned beauty brand Ami Colé has announced plans to shutter operations this September, with brand founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye saying she couldn't compete with "the deep pockets of corporate brands." N'Diaye-Mbaye, who founded Ami Colé in 2021, cut her teeth at L'Oréal and Glossier before creating her minimalist makeup brand for "melanin-rich skin." In the last four years, Ami Colé drew investments from L'Oréal's Bold venture capital arm, True Beauty Ventures, Imaginary Ventures, Greycroft and Debut Capital. In 2022, the brand inked a milestone retail partnership with LVMH -owned beauty retailer, Sephora, across the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, at the time of its L'Oréal investment, the brand was said to have grown its revenue 75 percent the previous year, according to a press release. In a letter written for The Cut, N'Diaye-Mbaye said that part of her company's downfall was competition from more prominent companies that had bigger financial backing. 'I couldn't compete with the deep pockets of corporate brands; at retail stores, prime shelf space comes at a price, and we couldn't afford it," she said. The entrepreneur went on to thank her fans and investors via her brand's Instagram account. "After four powerful and soul-stretching years, l've made the hard decision to wind down Ami Colé. What started as a mission to create clean beauty for melanin-rich skin became a movement and a metaphoric home for so many of you (just like what my mother built with her salon). We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are," said N'Diaye-Mbaye. "Let's not forget bomb ass products! This moment is bittersweet. You've witnessed me start from a sketch in my Brooklyn apartment to the shelves of every Sephora in North America in four years. Thank you for everything you've taught me about living your dreams out loud." The announcement comes after beauty heavyweights Estée Lauder, Coty, and Shiseido Americas announced plans to reduce their workforce, signalling industry-wide headwinds.
Fashion Network
21-07-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Melanin-rich skin beauty brand Ami Colé to close
Black-owned beauty brand Ami Colé has announced plans to shutter operations this September, with brand founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye saying she couldn't compete with "the deep pockets of corporate brands." N'Diaye-Mbaye, who founded Ami Colé in 2021, cut her teeth at L'Oréal and Glossier before creating her minimalist makeup brand for "melanin-rich skin." In the last four years, Ami Colé drew investments from L'Oréal's Bold venture capital arm, True Beauty Ventures, Imaginary Ventures, Greycroft and Debut Capital. In 2022, the brand inked a milestone retail partnership with LVMH -owned beauty retailer, Sephora, across the U.S. and Canada. In 2024, at the time of its L'Oréal investment, the brand was said to have grown its revenue 75 percent the previous year, according to a press release. In a letter written for The Cut, N'Diaye-Mbaye said that part of her company's downfall was competition from more prominent companies that had bigger financial backing. 'I couldn't compete with the deep pockets of corporate brands; at retail stores, prime shelf space comes at a price, and we couldn't afford it," she said. The entrepreneur went on to thank her fans and investors via her brand's Instagram account. "After four powerful and soul-stretching years, l've made the hard decision to wind down Ami Colé. What started as a mission to create clean beauty for melanin-rich skin became a movement and a metaphoric home for so many of you (just like what my mother built with her salon). We were a brand rooted in purpose, storytelling, and the bold celebration of who we are," said N'Diaye-Mbaye. "Let's not forget bomb ass products! This moment is bittersweet. You've witnessed me start from a sketch in my Brooklyn apartment to the shelves of every Sephora in North America in four years. Thank you for everything you've taught me about living your dreams out loud." The announcement comes after beauty heavyweights Estée Lauder, Coty, and Shiseido Americas announced plans to reduce their workforce, signalling industry-wide headwinds.
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ami Colé, the Black-owned Makeup Brand Sold at Sephora, to Close
Ami Colé is set to close in September. The brand, founded by Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye in 2021, will cease operations in September. More from WWD Chris McMillan Launches Namesake Hair Care Line at Sephora, Bringing Decades of Expertise to Styling Products EXCLUSIVE: Billy Porter Launches Black Mona Lisa, a Makeup and Skin Care Brand for Beauty Explorers Elegant Beauty Looks Paraded Down Couture Catwalks The decision comes on the heels of an expansion with Ami Colé's partnership with Sephora in 2024, and it counted L'Oréal's BOLD venture capital arm, True Beauty Ventures, Imaginary Ventures, Greycroft and Debut Capital as investors. 'I'm genuinely curious about the fate of this beauty industry — that is so multifaceted and complex, and more complex than the pace of which we're measuring success,' N'Diaye-Mbaye told WWD of the decision. 'Partners like Sephora are really trying their best, but there needs to be a sit-down of all of the minds, the brands, the retailers and the investors in the community to understand if we are going to all hold hands together or say 'we don't care' together. The misalignment is really painful.' N'Diaye-Mbaye first revealed the decision to shutter the brand in an essay in New York Magazine's The Cut Thursday. N'Diaye-Mbaye spent time in media and working at both L'Oréal and Glossier before creating the brand, which was meant to tap into the no-makeup-makeup aesthetic for melanin-rich skin. 'It was very clear that Black experiences and Black beauty were very much in the peripheral view and not really celebrated in their true glory,' she said at the time of the brand's debut. Ami Colé launched after the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the ensuing rush of financial and retail support for Black-owned brands. As reported, that landscape has changed considerably, with funding drying up for Black-owned brands and broader DE&I rollbacks under the current presidential administration hindering institutional support. 'I worked really hard as a solo founder, and every single one of my investors can attest that I have turned every rock and stone and pebble to make sure that we were as diligent as possible,' N'Diaye-Mbaye said. 'Are we a business? Yes. Do businesses fail? Yes.' Businesses of all sizes are feeling the heat, with the Estée Lauder Cos., Coty Inc. and most recently, Shiseido Americas reducing their headcounts. 'I came to the table sometimes with a lot of very hard questions that, being a pioneer and the first brand to do a lot of things, especially at this speed, couldn't be answered,' she said. 'I can only say I tried my very, very best; I wish the fate was different. I wish this was a billion-dollar company, and every investor I spoke to in 2019 and 2020 believed it could be. It's sad that that could not come to fruition.' Best of WWD The Best Makeup in Grammys History: Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Cher and More Iconic Red Carpet Looks A Look Back at Grammys Best Makeup on the Red Carpet: Beyonce, Dua Lipa and More Photos The Best Eyeliner Brand According to Stacey Bendet, Queen of the Black Smokey Eye Solve the daily Crossword
