Ami Colé, the beloved Black-owned beauty label known for its minimalist, melanin-rich formulations, will cease operations in September 2025. Founder Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye confirmed the closure in a heartfelt article for New York Magazine’s The Cut, citing the immense financial and operational pressures faced by independent beauty brands in a corporate-dominated industry.
Launched in 2021, Ami Colé quickly rose to prominence with its skin-enhancing tints and nourishing lip oils, designed to celebrate and serve deeper skin tones. The brand launched into Sephora in 2022, eventually landing on shelves in more than 600 stores, and earned over 80 industry awards — even securing a coveted spot on Oprah Winfrey’s “Favorite Things” list. In late 2024, Ami Colé received a minority investment from BOLD, L’Oréal’s venture capital fund, following earlier support that helped it raise over $1 million in funding.
Despite these milestones, N’Diaye-Mbaye shared that scaling the brand came with unforeseen challenges. “We made operational decisions that felt necessary at the time — like scaling up production to meet potential demand — without truly knowing how the market would respond,” she wrote. Sudden viral success led to unpredictable stock levels, while investor expectations mounted. Meanwhile, the brand struggled to secure and sustain premium retail space, which she noted “comes at a price.”
Sources say Ami Colé had been exploring a sale before opting to close. Ami Colé’s exit is a sobering reminder of the structural barriers that still exist in the beauty industry, particularly for brands led by women of color. Despite its accolades and community impact, N’Diaye-Mbaye said the brand ultimately couldn’t compete with the “deep pockets of corporate brands.”
