Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye’s Closing of Ami Colé Signals a Harsh Reality About the Beauty Industry
When news circulated about Hailey Bieber’s brand rhode being acquired by e.l.f. Beauty, think pieces exploded. Some people were for it and some expressed confusion because it seems like their aesthetics don’t align. It’s not like mergers and takeovers haven’t occurred before, but this wasn’t a small deal.
According to e.l.f. Beauty, rhode was purchased for a jaw-dropping $1 billion.
But on the other side of that conversation comes the startling reality that Black-owned beauty brands aren’t necessarily receiving the same funding. This stark contrast became clear when beauty founder Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye announced she was making the decision to shutter her brand Ami Colé. (via The Cut).
Here’s the thing — “less than 0.1 percent of venture capital funding goes to Black women entrepreneurs,” (via Cosmopolitan). Talk about a slap in the face when the beauty industry is supposed to have moved on from catering to specific audiences as if no one else exists.
What I love about Julee Wilson, Cosmopolitan’s Beauty editor-at-large, is that she isn’t afraid to call BS on this idea that money isn’t available for Black-owned brands. In her essay, she sent more than a smoke signal to those with “billion-dollar budgets” and their reluctance to back Black visions.
“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,” (via Cosmopolitan).
A Deeper Look at Ami Colé’s Roots
Named for her mother Aminata “Ami” Colé, this makeup brand’s roots stem from Mbaye’s admiration of the way her mother poured into clients at the hair salon she and Mbaye’s father “worked together to purchase…in the heart of Harlem (via The Cut). It’s the reason why the brand founder felt it was appropriate to garner attention for Ami Colé in the same place she spent hours with her mother.
Launching in 2021, this Black-owned makeup brand was an ode to the rich complexions of both “Black and brown women,” (via The Cut) and offered skin tints that truly feel like skin. As someone who’s moved away from foundation, I can attest to how soothing the formula feels upon application. Perhaps that’s why Mbaye’s announcement of Ami Colé’s closure felt like a gut-punch.
Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Tint in Shade “Deep 1”
The Beauty Industry’s Inclusivity “Lie”
Because I was raised to be wary of people claiming to be inclusive or champions of diversity, I looked at different industries’ rush to jump on a bandwagon with caution. Based on the experiences of myself and other Black people, it seemed like it was easy for certain entities to claim one thing. However, leopards have a hard time changing their spots…especially when DEI is rolled back and the threat of rising tariffs push sectors into a corner where they’d rather feed others to the wolves in order to protect themselves. Even Mbaye acknowledged “the racism that characterized the industry in the 2010s,” (via The Cut).
But, she didn’t let that stop her from connecting with others who were as intrigued about finding products that catered to their skin’s needs. Citing her love for Into the Gloss, Mbaye shared how she had the audacity to pitch her own feature and even believes her gorgeous skin “informed the first line of Glossier skin tints for the shade Rich,” (via The Cut). She evened secured a role with their product-development team, but found she “lacked mentorship and support.
Like various other Black people in the fashion and beauty industries, Mbaye experienced yet another disconnect where spaces refused to make space for her under the guise of sugar-covered lies. Still, she resolved to figure out what Black women truly desired in their beauty routines and began piecing together a brand that would not only see us, but service our unique undertones.
The Road to Securing Funding for Ami Colé
I wish I could tell you I was surprised investors were hesitant to invest in Ami Colé, but I’m not. Black-owned businesses have continuously run into roadblocks during pitch meetings. For example, it’s hard to forget how The Lip Bar was ruthlessly ridiculed on Shark Tank in 2015 (via CNBC). Though Mbaye was initially given the impression that a well-known investor was excited about what she sought to accomplish with Ami Colé. However, the investor’s “This is great” turned into the unnamed person’s belief that Ami Colé’s “niche audience” wouldn’t make the brand successful (via The Cut).
But, investors began changing their tune in 2020 and urged Mbaye to make Ami Colé available for women. It was a time when racial tensions were spilling over and a call for change resulted in people seeking to the first to make sure black-owned brands received the recognition and capital they deserved.
Confronting a Harsh Reality About the Beauty, Fashion & Media Industries
Though Mbaye was able to get Ami Colé onto the shelves at Sephora, she could only afford a smaller space for products to be featured. I remember asking a Black employee where her brand was only to be given a “Girl, let me show you” look and being ushered to a small endcap. Having helped set up an Ulta location at Peachtree Corners, I was familiar with this position and offered a heavy sigh as my response. It was a small moment of solidarity that confirmed what I knew to be true.
Mbaye wrote, “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,” (via The Cut). As someone who tirelessly gave herself to a company that preached the same, it’s apparent that higher-ups have no problem departing from the cushy “liberal” view of creating a space that welcomes all when the chips are down BTS.
Final Takeaway
I can’t tell you what this means for Black-owned brands in the future, but the world is watching as companies and investors deviate away from the very things they once pretended to care about during a time they deemed it “safe” to. Unspoken intentions and words are always revealed through actions.
