“It’s Either Now Or Never”: Amy Liu On Building Tower 28 Beauty At 40

For many of us in the corporate world, making the leap to start your own business can seem like a daunting one. That was certainly the case for Amy Liu, who after two decades in the beauty industry, thought it was “too late” to start her own brand.

While she had been working behind some of the most recognisable brands in the beauty business for nearly 20 years, the founder of Tower 28 Beauty made the decision to start again — at 40. With three children, a long-established career and, as she describes it, “the golden handcuffs” of corporate life, Amy found herself at a crossroads.

“I was kind of like, well, I guess it’s too late,” she reflects in the latest episode of The Making Of. “And I had a friend who was like, you’re either going to do it now or you do it never.”

That moment became the catalyst for Tower 28, which was a brand born not just from industry insight, but from lived experience. Having struggled with eczema for years, Amy set out to create products that felt safe, effective and accessible for sensitive skin, which is a category she felt had long been overlooked.

Today, Tower 28 is one of the most disruptive brands in modern beauty, known for its community-led growth, cult products and radical transparency. But, as Amy shares candidly, the journey has been anything but linear.

From launching quietly with no announcement, to landing in Sephora within months, to navigating the uncertainty of COVID-19, Amy credits the brand’s success not to strategy alone, but to connection – listening, learning and building alongside her customer.

“I really do believe, if you can make someone feel more confident in their own skin,” she says, “that I think they walk differently through the world.”

Amy Liu’s story is a reminder that the most powerful brands are often built from vulnerability — and the courage to begin, even when it feels too late.

This is The Making Of… Amy Liu and Tower 27 Beauty.

Watch the full episode below or stream now on Spotify.