Ami Colé’s Founder Diarrha N’Diaye is Leveling Up as Skims’ EVP of Beauty & Fragrance
@diarrhaxo/Instagram
The beauty world felt like it came to a screeching halt when Diarrha N’Diaye, founder of Ami Colé announced she was closing the doors of her brand (via The Cut). It felt like a personal gut punch because between the delicious Skin-Enhancing Tint and Danessa Myricks Beauty’s Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder, I felt like I’d found the perfect Black-girl friendly products. Even names like Julee Wilson, Cosmpolitan’s Beauty editor-at-large chimed in with her thoughts. She penned an open letter to the industry and beauty investors to question their lack of support for Black entrepreneurs.
“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,” she said (via Cosmopolitan).
But as the old saying goes, “When one door closes, a better one opens,” and that’s never been truer than before. In a triumph turn of events, N’Diaye has been tapped to be the EVP of beauty and fragrance for Kim Kardashian’s Skims. What makes this so interesting is that the beauty founder appeared on Emma Grede’s podcast Aspire to talk about the lessons she learned as a business owner and what could be next.
Emma Grede not only partnered with Khloe Kardashian to launch Good American, she’s also a founding partner of Skims along with her husband Jens Grede and Kim Kardashian. Also, the latter teased a new venture within the Skims brand a few weeks during her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. She said, “The one thing I’m super excited about is Skims Beauty. That is coming next…”
What have Kim Kardashian & Diarrha N’Diaye said about Skims Beauty?
In an exclusive statement, Kardashian addressed the high hopes she has for Skims Beauty. “I want Skims Beauty to be a place where everyone feels represented, and there was no better person to help us do that than Diarrha,” she said (via Elle). “She has an incomparable talent at marrying the emotional and tactical sides of beauty, and her instincts and experience for innovation and authenticity will power our brand.”
Echoing Kardashian’s sentiments, Diarrha said, “My job is to figure out how we create this second-skin experience for the customer and bridge the gap from clothing to makeup, hair, and fragrance,” (via Elle).
Watch “Losing” Taught Me Everything: What You Can Learn From This Founder’s Failure
Though I’ll fondly remember the joy Ami Colé brought me, I’m excited to see how N’Diaye and Kardashian will bring Skims Beauty to life. Fingers crossed for more amazing skin-like products!
Ami Colé Skin-Enhancing Tint in Shade “Deep 1”
This post has been updated.
