Ami Colé
Defunct DTC makeup brand for melanin-rich skin, sold through Sephora, shut down in 2025.
On the record
Checkpoint: Verification of residual Sephora.com listings and $32K monthly e-commerce activity flagged by analytics tools
The call
A well-reviewed, undercapitalized challenger closed after giants absorbed its shade-inclusivity pitch without needing to buy it.
Ami Colé sold makeup in many skin tones, competing in a space where bigger companies like L'Oréal and Estée Lauder also offer shade ranges now (Fenty Beauty set the standard years ago). The company raised only $3 million while rivals had $10 million to $40 million, which was not enough to pay for advertising and shelf space in stores where the real competition happens. The company's closed status is mostly confirmed, though some product listings still show online into April 2026, so it is unclear whether this is just leftover inventory selling out or something else entirely.
Why
01
AI pressure: None apparent. AI did not cause this. The company ran out of cash before any AI dynamic mattered. Could AI do the core job? Only partly.
02
Bigger players: L'Oréal and Estée Lauder, plus Fenty Beauty's 40-shade standard. Fenty proved inclusive shade ranges sell, then L'Oréal and Estée Lauder matched them with far more cash and shelf muscle. Could a giant copy it? Yes, easily.
03
What protects it. None left. The brand closed operations in September 2025 and the founder moved to SKIMS in November 2025.
What would change this call
Whether amicole.com or Sephora listings show active restocking versus liquidation by end of 2026. Confirms if reported $32K monthly revenue is real operations or stale/liquidating inventory.
Any announcement of L'Oréal or another party acquiring Ami Colé's brand IP or relaunching it. Would show the brand assets had value worth preserving despite the shutdown.
Whether Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye's SKIMS beauty role incorporates any Ami Colé-style shade or product concepts. Would show the founder's original inclusive-beauty approach persisting inside a larger, better-funded company.
Any announcement of L'Oréal or another party acquiring Ami Colé's brand IP or relaunching it. Would show the brand assets had value worth preserving despite the shutdown.
Whether Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye's SKIMS beauty role incorporates any Ami Colé-style shade or product concepts. Would show the founder's original inclusive-beauty approach persisting inside a larger, better-funded company.
Key numbers
- $3M total capital raised since 2021
- $3.5M annual sales, 75% YoY growth
- 600 Sephora doors in US and Canada
Named risks
- Undercapitalization versus well-funded rivals led to full shutdown in Sept 2025.
- Total dependence on Sephora distribution with no owned retail channel.
- Unresolved data discrepancy: analytics show residual e-commerce activity into 2026 despite reported shutdown.
- Founder departure to SKIMS in Nov 2025 lowers odds of any brand revival.
Rivals, as read in July 2026
| Rival | Direction | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Fenty Beauty | losing to | Set 40-shade inclusivity standard in 2017, closing the shade-gap Ami Colé entered years later |
| L'Oréal | losing to | Minority investor from Sept 2024 but did not acquire or rescue Ami Colé before Sept 2025 shutdown |
| Estée Lauder | losing to | Owns broad-shade mass and prestige lines with far larger marketing budgets than Ami Colé's $3M |
| Makeup by Mario | losing to | Raised $40M versus Ami Colé's roughly $3M total (per FemFounded, 2026-03-31) |
| One/Size | losing to | Launched with $10M funding versus Ami Colé's roughly $3M total |
| Topicals | gaining on | Reportedly acquired Bread Beauty Supply in 2025 while remaining operational, unlike Ami Colé |
Questions people ask
- Is Ami Colé still in business in 2026?
- No. Ami Colé announced closure in July 2025 via founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye's open letter in The Cut and formally ceased operations in September 2025, ending a four-year run as a Sephora-carried inclusive beauty brand, per TechCrunch, 2025-07-17.
- Did L'Oréal acquire Ami Colé?
- No acquisition occurred. L'Oréal's venture arm BOLD made an undisclosed minority strategic investment in Ami Colé in September 2024 alongside a Sephora Canada expansion, but the brand still shut down in September 2025 with no reported buyout or asset sale.
- Why did Ami Colé shut down?
- Ami Colé raised only about $3 million total versus rivals like Makeup by Mario ($40M) and One/Size ($10M), and could not outspend L'Oréal-owned and Estée Lauder-owned lines on marketing and inventory after Fenty Beauty normalized inclusive shade ranges in 2017, per TechCrunch and FemFounded, 2025-07-17.
- Is it safe to take a job at Ami Colé right now?
- No, Ami Colé is not hiring; the company ceased normal operations in September 2025 after announcing closure in July 2025, and founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye moved to SKIMS as EVP of Beauty & Fragrance in November 2025, per Black Enterprise, 2025-11-13.
- Could AI have saved or replaced Ami Colé?
- Unlikely. Ami Colé was a physical cosmetics manufacturing and retail business; its failure stemmed from undercapitalization (about $3 million raised) versus better-funded rivals, not AI substitution. No evidence shows the brand used or was displaced by AI tools before its September 2025 closure.
- Who was Ami Colé's biggest competitor?
- Fenty Beauty, which set a 40-shade inclusivity standard in 2017 and eliminated the market gap Ami Colé later targeted, plus incumbents L'Oréal and Estée Lauder, whose broad-shade mass lines and marketing budgets outspent Ami Colé's roughly $3 million in total funding, per FemFounded, 2026-03-31.
Timeline
- 2025-11Founder Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye joins SKIMS as EVP of Beauty and Fragrance
- 2025-09Ami Colé formally ceases normal operating status
- 2025-07Founder announces closure via open letter in The Cut
- 2024-12Brand reaches roughly 600 Sephora doors in US and Canada
- 2024-09L'Oréal BOLD makes undisclosed strategic investment; Sephora Canada launch
- 2024-09Founder reports about $3.5M annual sales, 75% YoY growth
- 2022-12Ami Colé enters Sephora US retail
- 2021-06Ami Colé founded and launched by Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye
- 2021$1M pre-seed round from Imaginary Ventures and angel investors
Revision history
23 July 2026
First assessed. Little protection left. The text above is fixed as of this date and is not edited afterwards.
In the same band
Sources
- Ami Colé (2026-03-20)
- 80 Awards, 600 Sephora Doors, Then Shut Down (2026-03-31)
- After raising over $3M, popular VC-backed beauty brand Ami Colé is shuttering (2025-07-17)
- L'Oréal-backed inclusive beauty brand Ami Colé announces closure (2025-07-18)
- Diarrha N'Diaye Talks Myths Of Black Founders And Venture Capital (2025-11-13)
- Ami Colé
- amicole.com eCommerce Revenue (2026-04-25)
- 51+ Best Black-Owned Beauty Brands to Support in 2026 (2024-02-16)
- How Black-Owned UOMA Beauty Broke Into ULTA and Walmart (2025-12-22)
- Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye Opens Up About Closing Down Ami Colé (2025-07-17)
- How 40 Shades Changed an Industry (2026-03-10)