How Sydney’s Australian Glow built a global brand worth $3.3m

A Sydney mum’s massive gamble to quit her job has paid off big time. This is how her “light bulb moment” launched set her up for life.

When Liz Agresta attended her first trade show in Rome for her new sustainable fake tan, the products got held up at customs and she had to present potential buyers with empty labelled bottles filled with water.

The mum-of-one had been a “religious” self tanner since she was in her 20s, but when she got into her 30s her skin started to become very sensitive.

Experiencing reactions on her face and elsewhere, she did a deep dive into her tanning products’ ingredients and was shocked by all the “nasties” in there.

It kicked off her “light bulb moment” as she realised there was a gap in the market for a “natural, organic and nourishing” fake tan and one with sustainable packaging too.

She decided to take a risk by quitting her job at a bank in 2018, investing $25,000 and co-founding her brand Australian Glow.

Liz Agresta, co founder of Australian Glow. Picture: Supplied

Recognising that the Australian market was saturated with fake tan, she decided to take on the global market and the Italian trade show was going to be her first big push.

“We got to the trade show and we had this epic five-metre-high sign and it was huge and our booth was pink, it was bright and every other store that was around us was absolutely the opposite – black, white, sleek,” she told news.com.au.

“We have no products, we were there the day before the trade show filling up empty bottles with water to display on our wall and I thought everyone will think, ‘what amateurs’.”

But the 35-year-old said they were the busiest booth at the show and scored their first major deal with big department stores in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

The trade show that kicked it all off. Picture: Supplied

The Sydney mum said those consumers in particular were obsessed with climate change and the environment and loved that refill packs could be purchased once the bottle was finished, while packaging is made with ocean waste.

“We use 80 per cent less plastic on those refill pouches than an actual bottle and at the trade show people’s minds were blown that we can save this much plastic,” she added.

“The pouches were a world first and now I’ve seen other tanning brands that actually have started the refill pouches.”

Since 2019, Australian Glow have removed the equivalent of more than 50,000 plastic bags from the world’s oceans and have a goal to become carbon neutral by 2023. The brand is also cruelty-free and vegan.

The self tan mousse. Picture: Supplied

More of Australian Glow's products. Picture: Supplied

Liz Agresta runs Australian Glow with her tanning mousse on average sells every 70 seconds around the globe. Picture: Supplied

The most popular product is the tanning mouse which retails for $24.99, while there’s also tanning drops, gel and lotion with hemp, and a facial bronzing mist.

Australian Glow also scored a deal with one of the UK’s major pharmacies Superdrug, launching in March 2020 when the pandemic kicked off.

Despite mistakes along the way, Ms Agrestra said Australian Glow’s tanning mousse on average sells every 70 seconds around the globe.

It has also racked up retail sales worth $3.3 million in the 2020/21 financial year.

“I’m itching to jump on a plane to go overseas to see our products in store,” she said.

“It has been surreal, living through a pandemic, birthing a child and running a business.”

Seeing the rise in consumers wanting to support local brands, the mum decided to tackle her home market with her tanning products stocked in Priceline stores in Australia in November 2021.

Liz with her son Oliver. Picture: Supplied

The brand's self tanning drops. Picture: Supplied

Next up is the US, where they already have a brand presence, with a launch into Macy’s this month, with projected sales for Australian Glow forecast to hit $5 million at the end of this financial year.

“The US is the major focus done as we have done exceptionally well with more than 75 per cent of sales coming from US,” added fellow co-founder Jackson Wilson.

The birth of her 18-month-old son Oliver also means Ms Agresta has her eyes on a new category of products, including sunscreens and SPF.