Dear Ami Colé,
There are no perfect words. But ‘thank you’ is a start. As a queer Black man navigating the beauty space—a space where there are not a lot of male voices as is—I’ve spent years searching for products, and brands, that didn’t just tolerate my presence but celebrated it.
You did exactly that. From your skin tint to your lip oils, you made me feel like I belonged. You saw my skin, my softness, my story. I didn’t want to fully process the news of your closure. This isn’t just about losing a brand. It also feels like losing a reflection of myself in a world that rarely hands out mirrors. With that, we are so proud of the work you’ve done and thankful for lifting us up with each and every launch.
With that, I reached out to beauty editors, many of whom echoed the same sentiments. Ami Colé wasn’t just a brand, it was a love letter to Black beauty in all its forms.
This time, below for our love letter to you, Diarrha and the entire Ami Colé team.
Akili King, Senior Beauty Editor at ESSENCE
“Ami Colé has always felt like home. To me, home is a place of ultimate peace, trust, and warmth. Diarrha and team always embodied this with every single product, roll out, and campaign. I am so grateful to have felt seen in the beauty space in this way. Especially as a Black woman with sensitive skin, it hasn’t always been easy to find brands that I can fully trust to keep my needs top of mind. With Ami Colé, I never had to worry. To the team, thank you for this kind of intentional thoughtfulness. It truly goes a long way in making our community feel confident, beautiful, and ready to take on the world. I’m excited to see what your brilliant minds cook up next!”
India Espy-Jones, Contributing Beauty Editor at ESSENCE
“I learned early on just how easy beauty could forget about Black women. But, you never did. Since hearing your story—how you grew up in your mother’s Harlem salon wrapped tightly on her back as she braided—I realized as long as Black women remember our beauty, then nothing else matters. The community you’ve built around Ami Colé is like a hair salon, a safe space for Black women to feel seen and finally, beautiful.“
Asia Milia Ware, Beauty Editor at The Cut
“I remember when Ami Colè was just a deck of ideas Diarrha was pitching. Even from that moment it felt like a brand I’d be able to call home. From then up until now that’s exactly what it’s been, a safe space for Black women. For me it was special because we weren’t an after thought. Instead, products were created with us in mind and you could tell from the intentionality of the storytelling to the incomparable shade matches.
I could pick up any Ami Colè product and know it was made with me in mind, for me that’s special, especially when I am constantly trying new brands or complexion products that don’t work for my skin. I’m often told, ‘those shades are coming at a later time.’ It’s basically telling me you’re not a priority. At Ami Colè, Black women were the priority, the main characters. It was a love letter to us that poured into us first.”
Marsha Badger, Freelance Beauty Editor
“Ami Colé was a breath of fresh air in beauty space that centered Black women. Their presence reminded us that melanin-rich skin deserves inclusion and intention. While the brand is closing, its impact on the industry and the blueprint it created will last far beyond the shelf.”
Deena Campbell, Beauty Expert and Journalist
“When Ami Colé launched, everyone I knew fell madly in LOVE—but it was especially made for us, Black women. Every product was intentional and beautifully executed. I’ve known the founder, Diarrha, since my early days in media, and it’s been incredibly inspiring to watch her build something so meaningful. I think back fondly to the days we’d chat about the latest beauty launches, and seeing her bring a brand to life from scratch has been nothing short of extraordinary. And I know this isn’t the end—she’s going to do something beyond our wildest dreams. Just wait!!”
Cameron Jenkins, Staff Writer at Good Housekeeping
“Honestly I was so sad when I heard the news and the feeling was mutual for so many Black woken in my circle. Ami Cole was a for us and centered us, which felt so special and rare when we’ve often been afterthoughts especially in the beauty space. I was personally such a fan of the lip oils and I loved how each shade thoughtful and inclusive enough to flatter melanin rich skin tones—you didn’t have to reach for a lip liner to make a shade ‘work’ for you.”
Tatayana Yomary, Freelance Beauty Writer & Columnist
“Ami Colé is special for a myriad of reasons, but the biggest for me is intentionality. It’s one thing to create products with melanin-rich tones in mind; it’s another to truly celebrate Black beauty and allow us to feel seen. The brand’s innovations not only complemented our skin tones but also enhanced our unique features and allowed us to feel beautiful in our skin unapologetically. Ami Cole has successfully bridged the gap between community and accessible luxury, and its impact is one that will leave a lasting imprint on the beauty industry and young, Black women who continue to show up for themselves and others.”
Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer at Marie Claire
“Ami Colé felt like more than just a makeup brand—it felt like a love letter to the Black beauty girls that never really found their community. From the shade range to the way that everyone had that lip oil, this brand felt like homecoming in the best way. There’s nothing like this on the market and I don’t think there will ever will be again. So until the last drop of excellence touches my lips and even after that, Long Live Ami Colé.”
Julee Wilson, Beauty Editor At-Large at Cosmopolitan
“My professional purpose has always been (and will always be) to uplift and celebrate Black and brown people and brands in the beauty industry. That’s why seeing a brand like Ami Colé, which reached such incredible heights, have to shutter feels not only heartbreaking, but like a gut punch to those of us who are simply fighting for a more inclusive and balanced beauty landscape. The silver lining in all of this is that Diarrha’s vision and legacy are undeniable. She will forever be a North Star for folks on how to move as a visionary and changemaker. Now we just need the people with real money and real power to open their eyes—and wallets—to brilliance like hers.”
Naomi Parris, Assistant Shopping Editor at POPSUGAR
“Ami Colé was and will always be special to me because it redefined the “Black beauty brand”category. It pushed boundaries beyond performative campaigns — it’s a place where Black beauty has no end date. It’s home and will never be forgotten.”
Joane Amay, Freelance Beauty Editor and Writer
“No other brand epitomized the concept of loving on ourselves as Ami Colé. It was for us, by us, and never disappointed us. It always held us down. The way their precious lip oils caressed on our luscious lips or the way their skin tints boosted our complexions and self-confidence—we could always count on our top-tier, ride-or-die. God bless Ami Colé. It will remain to us the standard forever and ever.”
Robyn Merrett, Beauty Editor
“As a minimal glam girlie, Ami Colé always made me feel like myself in makeup. Soft but glowy. Calm but still a statement. I especially loved the Lip Treatment Oil in Bliss. At one point, I had one in every purse. But this brand was more than just great products. The ethos behind it—the celebration of melanin-rich skin, the thoughtful formulations, the authenticity—meant so much to me as a Black woman. This feels like such a loss, and it’s a reminder of how much harder it still is for Black-owned brands to not just launch but last. That said, I know this isn’t the end for Diarrha N’Diaye. If there’s one thing about a Black woman, it’s that we know how to pivot and come back even stronger.”
Victor Qunnuell Vaughns Jr., Fashion & Beauty Lead at Ebony
“Ami Colé is special to me because it feels like it was made by someone who actually gets it and who understands that melanin isn’t a marketing category, it’s a lifestyle. The formulas hit, the finishes glow, and the whole brand feels like homegrown affirmation in a tube. It’s not just makeup, it’s a love letter to skin that’s always had to do the most with the least.”
Jailynn Taylor, Beauty & Style Writer
“As someone with a neutral undertone, I find that many brands always lean too yellow, but with Ami Colé I always found my perfect match in the Skin Enhancing Stick (even with my summer tan). It was one of the few times I felt truly seen by a brand that not only prioritized deeper shades but actually understood undertones. I’ll be savoring my final restock down to the very last swipe.”
Nerisha Penrose, Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE
“Ami Colé felt like home to me. There was a familiar warmth and satisfaction I experienced every time I uncapped my Skin-“Enhancing Stick or swiped on the Lip Treatment Oil. When purchasing complexion products in the past, I always knew it would take a bit of finesse to make them work with my skin tone and texture.
However, with Ami Colé, I didn’t need to neutralize a too-warm formula or worry about my skin looking parched or too greasy by the end of the day-the brand understood our struggles and delivered on its promises. As a beauty editor, it’s easy to stay detached from brands because of the constant influx of products landing on our desks each day. Still, no matter how many foundations have kissed my skin, lip oils have coated my lips, or concealer brushes have dusted under my eyes, l’ve always come back to Ami Colé—that’s the home where my Black beauty thrived.”
Kayla Greaves, Beauty Expert, Host, Consultant, And Award-Winning Journalist
“We all felt like the Ami Cole girl, and you’d seldom find me without a lip oil or liner in my purse. It was my go-to for a simple, clean look. I will forever be grateful to Diarrha for creating this space for us. Ami Cole forever and ever.”
Jessica C. Andrews, Senior Style Director at Popsugar
“After 15+ years working as an editor in the style industry, Ami Colé was one of the first times I felt truly seen and valued in a beauty brand, from the packaging to the imagery to the good-for-you ingredients used in that bestselling lip oil. A dear friend, Diarrha N’Diaye-Mbaye always emanated this radiant, effortless beauty and Ami Colé felt like a testament to that — the idea that, as Black women, our natural beauty is more than enough.
Given the brand’s profound impact on people all over the world — as evidenced by its long list of awards, celebrity/influencer endorsements, and Sephora shelf space — I find it mind boggling that there was a lack of support from investors. Its closure is a damning indictment on the beauty industry as a whole and the racism that still clearly exists within it. Nonetheless, Ami Colé’s enduring legacy cannot be denied. Diarrha is a visionary and her love for Black women shines through everything she does, I can’t wait to see what’s next for her.”