Paris – Prai Beauty has been acquired by Luxury Brands LLC in partnership with Dodo Group.
The financial terms of the transaction are intended to help expand the geographical scope of “pro-aging” skincare brands, but it has not been revealed.
In 1999, Kathy Cangus began ply beauty focusing on a crowd of over 50 people, and then began targeting necks and décolletage areas that age faster than women’s faces due to various factors . Kangas will continue to lead the brand as CEO.
“Prai Beauty has built an impressive reputation as a leader in targeted skincare solutions,” said Michael Dodo, co-founder and chairman of Luxury Brands LLC, in a statement. “We believe there is a very high chance that it will expand across direct consumer, R&D and marketing initiatives to increase the brand’s presence worldwide.”
“This partnership is an exciting milestone for Prai Beauty,” Kangas said. “With the strategic support of Dodo Group and Luxury Brands LLC, we aim to expand unprecedentedly. Working with Michael Dodo and his team, we will deliver innovative skincare solutions to even more consumers around the world. I look forward to bringing it.”
Kangas is evangelical about improving women’s feelings about the neck, and also focuses on the effects of menopause. Such things include hotels, night sweats, sagging skin, and a line called menoglow.
Kangas began his sales and marketing career at LeBron and launched Ply Beauty to address what he saw as a white space in the market. At the time, she said: “Over 50 women have been forgotten. She was left behind in the beauty industry, but that didn’t make any sense to me. I wanted to talk to her and celebrate her.”
Prai Beauty products.
Courtesy of Prai Beauty
From the start, Kangas pushed a “pro-aging” message. Rather than trying to demonize aging, she wanted to normalize the conversation around it. It was a bold move, especially in the beauty industry, as menopause and postmenopausal talk were taboos.
Initially, Kangas sold Ply beauty products through a television shopping channel, with the advice of his father, Roy Northway Stevens. The late Northway Stevens served as CEO and Managing Director of Selfridges in London and later president of LeBron’s fame in the US.
Kangas launched Ply’s ageless skincare line over 10 years ago. In particular, the elderly throat and décolletage cream proved a hit, winning the brand the title “Neck Authority.”
Following its launch at Marks & Spencer in 2018, Cream has become the retailer’s number one bestselling beauty product, transforming Prai into the store’s number one beauty brand. This is the top seller neck cream from HSN and QVC.
In 2023, Prai Beauty debuted Neckbar at Marks & Spencer in London. It provided services such as yoga, massage and skin consultation using handheld devices. Until then, they only offered practical services such as “Neck Sial” through pop-ups on M&S, Princess, Carnival and Seaborne Chris ships.
Prai Beauty is paying attention to the surge in young female consumers suffering from “high-tech necks” due to the constant perusal of digital devices.
Prai Beauty is a certified bunny. This means that some of the sales will go to animal welfare projects. Kangas is also a board member of the American Humane Society and ambassador to Nowzad, an animal rescue group based in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Prai Beauty is based in the United States and Kangas, UK, and lives in the United States, with its products manufactured by Bentley Labs, New Jersey.
The UK is the brand’s home market, selling at 500 boots, 200 M&S and 230 Waitrose stores.
Prai Beauty’s biggest market is in the US, with 250 JCPenny stores in stock and also available in the UK in Canada, Europe and South Africa.
Kathy Cangas
Courtesy of Prai Beauty
Kangas still promotes its products on small screens, allowing customers to enjoy it in the 70s and 80s. She promises to change women in a few days, from “turkey to swans,” no matter how wrinkled their necks become.
Prai Beauty products cost between £25 and £40. Its sales reached $15 million in 2024.
“With this acquisition, DoDo Group and Luxury Brands LLC reaffirm their commitment to investing in sophisticated beauty brands focused on consumers,” they said in a statement.
Founded in 2017, luxury brands include a portfolio of brands such as Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics and Skincare, FHI Heat, Stylus and Neo Bond.
Dodo Group, a diversified investment company, was founded in 2011. It specializes in acquiring and revitalizing legacy businesses in the beauty, luxury brands, retail and food and beverage sectors.
