in 2021 has secured an investment from L’Oréal’s BOLD venture capital arm, and is using the infusion of undisclosed size to fuel its team expansion and growing retail footprint.
Hamilton’s ethos for the deal revolved around “a really incredible founder,” she said, in addition to learning opportunities for L’Oréal. “We like to invest in brands and technologies that will change the beauty world for the future. It’s a good way for us to test the elasticity of the consumer’s mind as it relates to where beauty is going and where she’s spending.”Hamilton also noted Ami Colé’s shade range as a learning opportunity for L’Oréal.
Amplifying that proposition is part of N’Diaye-Mbaye’s strategic priorities moving forward. She found a lot of success with beauty influencer Aysha Harun, with whom she colaunched a limited-edition shade of the brand’s Ami Colé is approaching the $3.5 million mark in sales, N’Diaye-Mbaye said, a benchmark she plans to surpass with a mix of team-building, inventory growth and a heftier marketing budget.