Introduction:
Prolong Lash is the Australian brand that pioneered eyelash extension aftercare, launching the first professional cleanser made specifically for extensions in 2008.
What began with a single innovation, the Prolong Lash Cleanser Concentrate, has evolved into a trusted global brand with established distribution networks in Australia and New Zealand, the U.S., Japan, and the UK., and regional distribution expansion now underway across Canada and the EU.
“Our hero product, the Cleanser Concentrate, was revolutionary,” says Founder Kerry Wood. “When we launched, no one believed you should wash your lashes. We changed that conversation and created a product so unique that, even today, no one has successfully replicated our formula. What makes ours different is that our Concentrate is truly unlike anything else on the market.”
By 2020, Prolong Lash had launched direct U.S. distribution, supporting its reseller partners and lash enthusiasts with timely and consistent supply. Partnering first with a small, family-run operation to establish local logistics, demand soon outpaced capacity. By early 2023, the company transitioned to a larger distribution partner to scale compliantly, a move supported by Commenda, who stepped in to streamline systems, automate compliance, and strengthen the foundation for sustainable global growth.
Problem:
Managing Compliance Across Multiple Providers, Limiting Progress
When Prolong Lash first engaged with Commenda, the initial focus was straightforward, establishing a registered U.S. office. However, as the brand’s footprint expanded across multiple states, the compliance landscape quickly became more complex. Managing accounting operations alongside multi-state tax obligations required localized expertise, constant oversight, and significant administrative time.
For an Australian-based company, navigating the intricacies of U.S. sales tax, with its state-by-state requirements, registration demands, and filing cycles, became a major operational challenge.
In the early stages, Prolong Lash engaged a series of high-end accounting firms, assuming reputation and experience would equate to security and precision. Instead, the brand faced inefficiency, inconsistent advice, and escalating costs.
“There were ridiculous expenses for accounting on an hourly basis. So, I’d imagine that these high-end accountants will begin to fade away in the current e-commerce growth climate,” reflects Founder, Kerry Wood.
Sales tax compliance proved equally difficult. With nexus registrations, transaction-level reporting, and filings handled by multiple providers, the process became fragmented and error-prone.
“When we were setting up our U.S. head office, establishing all the state addresses was a nightmare,” Kerry recalls.
The turning point came with a change in ownership. When Alicia Phoenix stepped in as the new owner of Prolong Lash, she identified the need for a unified, scalable compliance solution to support the company’s next phase of global growth. Under her direction, the brand transitioned to Commenda, consolidating accounting, tax, and compliance under one trusted partner.
This move not only resolved years of fragmented processes but also brought structure, automation, and clarity to the brand’s U.S. operations, laying the foundation for confident, compliant expansion worldwide.
Solution:
Clarity and Confidence in Every Conversation, through a Consolidated Solution.
When Alicia Phoenix took ownership of Prolong Lash, she inherited a fast-growing global brand but also a maze of fragmented accounting providers, manual processes, and inconsistent compliance systems. Recognising that the business couldn’t continue scaling on disjointed foundations, Alicia moved quickly to replace the incumbent accountants and unify operations under one intelligent, automated platform.
“We needed structure, automation, and a partner who could see the full picture, not just manage transactions,” explains Alicia Phoenix, Owner of Prolong Lash. “Commenda offered exactly that. Their ability to simplify complex, multi-state tax and compliance processes has allowed us to focus on growth with total confidence.”
With Commenda, Prolong Lash gained a fully integrated accounting and compliance framework that replaced multiple providers with a single, trusted partner. Commenda automated state filings, improved transaction visibility, and introduced consolidated reporting across entities, reducing manual oversight and eliminating inefficiencies that once slowed decision-making.
The collaboration also brought greater financial clarity, enabling real-time insights into cash flow, tax obligations, and international performance. By centralising systems and automating compliance, Prolong Lash now operates with the agility and transparency needed to sustain its expansion across global markets.
Sales Tax, Automated
When it came to sales tax, Prolong Lash’s requirement was clear. As the brand expanded quickly across U.S. states, the challenge was managing sales tax obligations efficiently, all while staying compliant with each state’s diverse tax framework.
After assessing their needs, Commenda’s advisors onboarded Prolong Lash onto their platform, registering them in states where nexus thresholds had been breached. Through this system, state-level filings could now be handled automatically, minimizing manual effort, keeping track of exemptions, and ensuring complete compliance without the constant back-and-forth of traditional processes.
Commenda’s Sales Tax Dashboard replaced that complexity with transparency. State registrations, filings, exemptions, and nexus exposure are now tracked from a single central view, giving the Prolong Lash team total visibility and control. The dashboard also alerts them well in advance when new state registrations are required, ensuring they remain fully compliant wherever business grows.
“With Commenda, it’s been a game changer. We get responses quickly, and we actually have a dashboard, which we didn’t have before. Everything’s in one place, and the system is much more robust and mature than some of your competitors,” said Adelle Whiteway, E-Commerce and Head of Operations, Prolong Lash.
When asked which feature of the dashboard made the biggest difference, the team pointed to Commenda’s reseller tax-exempt automation, a tool that eliminated one of their most repetitive workflows.
“I like the tax-exemption for our resellers. We can send a bulk email to our resellers so they can upload their tax-exempt certificates. Everything’s much more organized now,” Adelle added.
By consolidating filings and exemption management into one unified dashboard, Commenda gave Prolong Lash a system that’s both faster and more reliable, cutting turnaround time, reducing manual intervention, and allowing the team to stay focused on growth rather than paperwork.
For the first time, Prolong Lash could see, track, and manage every compliance item from one intuitive platform, giving them the clarity and confidence needed to scale efficiently across states.
Outcome:
Commenda: Simplifying Compliance, Amplifying Growth
With Commenda, Prolong Lash transformed a fragmented, manual compliance process into a unified financial framework designed for growth. What once required multiple accountants, providers, and tools now runs seamlessly through one platform.
“I think that the high-end accountant markets are being chipped away at by the great work that people like Commenda and some of the organizations that are up and coming are doing now. We’d probably have to go out and find two or three different tools just to match the functionality we get today,” said Kerry.
Commenda has continued to evolve alongside Prolong Lash’s expansion, delivering consistent updates, smarter automation, and intuitive features that make compliance feel effortless.
“A company that consistently makes compliance simple,” said Adelle.
Today, Prolong Lash is registered for sales tax in 14 states, supported by a faster, more reliable compliance process that keeps them ahead of deadlines and regulatory changes.
Looking Ahead
As Prolong Lash continues to expand globally, Commenda remains a trusted partner in their journey. The company is preparing to launch in Canada, with EU and U.K. compliance already underway. It has also secured a launch on Rakuten Japan and continues to strengthen its marketplace presence through Amazon UK. “Next year is going to be massive,” shared Alicia. “We’re duplicating websites for new regions and preparing launches in New Zealand, Canada, and the EU.”
With Commenda as a consolidated and dependable compliance partner, Prolong Lash can confidently onboard new entities and expand into new markets.
Key Takeaways
- Commenda brought Prolong Lash’s accounting and compliance under one roof, replacing complexity with a single, cohesive system.
- Automated bookkeeping and filings streamlined operations, cutting down manual work and reducing costs across the board.
- The Sales Tax Dashboard provided complete visibility across 14 states, making registrations, filings, and exemptions effortless to manage.
- As a trusted partner, Commenda now powers Prolong Lash’s confident expansion into Canada, the EU, and Japan.