After Raising over $3M, Popular VC-Backed Beauty Brand Ami Colé Is Shuttering

Why the End of Ami Colé Is Devastating

The beloved beauty brand went viral for its accessible and shade-inclusive makeup staples. But when reportedly less than one percent of venture-capital funds are granted to Black founders, how can companies of color compete in the beauty landscape?

Black-Owned Ami Colé To Shut Down After Four Years

Black owned beauty brand Ami Colé is set to shut down its business in September, according to founder/CEO Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye.

After raising over $3M, popular VC-backed beauty brand Ami Colé is shuttering

Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye, one of the first among the small number of Black women to raise more than $1 million in venture capital, announced on Thursday the closure of her award-winning beauty startup Ami Colé.

Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Opens Up About Closing Down Ami Colé

By India Espy-Jones ·Updated July 17, 2025 Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… On her brand’s 4th anniversary, founder of Ami Colé Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye sat down with ESSENCE for a conversation about how she got her start. Now, a few months later, the beauty brand is officially closing its doors.This morning, the founder announced she’s closing her brand down this September in an article she authored for The Cut. “My beauty brand offered Bl…

A Love Letter to Ami Colé Ahead of the Brand's Closure

Beauty Writer, Ariel Baker, explains why the news of Ami Colé’s closure hints at a broader, industry-wide problem in the beauty industry. Read her op-ed here.

Why I Am Closing Ami Colé

Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye’s landmark beauty brand helped Black women find skin-tint shades they couldn’t find elsewhere. On top of that, Ami Colé started the lip-oil craze. Why wasn’t that enough?