My mom always told me beauty is pain, but I learned that pain has levels. There is a very specific type of heartbreak that comes with loving beauty—being treated as an afterthought (if thought of at all), watching beloved brands close their doors, formulas change without warning, and holy grails disappearing from shelves.
Being a beauty consumer can feel a lot like being a serial dater. You think you’ve found the one. You commit, invest your time and money, tell your friends about them, and make them a part of your routine. But at any moment, ghosting, switching up—or a full-blown breakup—is a possibility.
And unfortunately, I’ve experienced all of it. One was with Ami Colé. The brand and its founder, Diarrha N’Diaye, were committed to creating clean beauty for people who didn’t necessarily want a beat face, but makeup that felt like skin while subtly enhancing their natural beauty. If you couldn’t tell, that’s right up my alley. I prefer enhancing my natural features and a simple makeup routine. My favorite products were their lip oils and concealer. Their oils mimic a gloss in all the best ways. There was shine, moisture, minimal stickiness, and shades that truly complimented my melanated lips. Their concealer, covered darkness and blemishes in a way that still gave a natural finish. I haven’t had another product like it. I’m still trying to scoop every drop of it when I do my makeup.
Unfortunately, closing their doors became inevitable. And I want to make one thing clear: Ami Colé was successful. I won’t take that away from them because of how the story ended. But success doesn’t always equal sustainability. Growing retail demand meant growing inventory and operational needs. Costs increased, tariffs added additional pressure, and the company needed more capital and infrastructure to keep up. Despite attempts to secure what they needed, ultimately, it wasn’t enough to keep the business sustainable.
To wrap this up, because I can go on and on about this brand. The closing did hurt me. Diarrha built this company out of the mud. No co-founder, no board, but a brand built on love, community, innovation, and a legacy that began long before the brand. I wasn’t losing just a concealer and lip oil. I was losing the brand that made me feel considered.
“Once you open that package, you’re like, she gets it, she knows me, she sees me.” – Diarrha N’Diaye,
We definitely did.
Origins is another brand that left me a little heartbroken. If you’ve been following me for a while, they were my go-to skincare brand. My mom used to work for them and introduced me to them; I practically grew up with Origins. This wasn’t just something I found at Ulta or Macy’s; there’s history tied to family and growth. Over the years, I’ve chosen to pivot. I noticed the products stopped performing the way I remembered, and even though I know Origins is committed to innovative skincare, I had to switch. They also discontinued products I used—the Drink Up 10 Minute Hydrating Mask and A Perfect World Age Defense Eye Cream with SPF 20, to name a few.
This was my first experience realizing how much the beauty industry changes. It felt like I had to rediscover new products while already trying to improve my routine. For me, skincare is one of the more difficult products to find what works for you. Unlike makeup and some haircare products, it takes longer to see if the products are working. You have to be patient. While I understand the beauty industry is constantly changing and exploring ways to improve their products, I can’t ignore what sometimes comes with the changes.
I don’t want you to think I’m bashing or criticizing these brands. I’m actually doing the opposite. They created great products that I truly enjoyed, and I appreciate them for that. If anything, these experiences have taught me to explore—to find products I love without limiting myself to just one. They’ve inspired me to try new things, and I encourage you to do the same. There are so many great products out there, and I’ve learned to really enjoy the exploration process, especially when I get to share it with you. The real lesson is that you can love something, appreciate what it gave you, and still move on when it’s time. That doesn’t just apply to this, but to everything in life.
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