Pretty Smart Too

About Pretty Smart Too

Pretty Smart Too is the skincare and business podcast hosted by two best friends and estheticians, Laura and Brandy. From facials to front desks, we talk real-life spa stories, small biz wins and fails, and everything in between. Whether you’re a beauty pro, a solo entrepreneur, or just skincare-obsessed, you’re in the right place. It’s the industry—unfiltered, honest, and a little bit cheeky. prettysmarttoo.substack.com (https://prettysmarttoo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Two estheticians. One friendship. All the real talk behind the spa biz.

Category

arts · business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Jul 2025

Latest episode

7 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

24 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   7 Sept 2026

   AI Won't Take Your Job, But Somebody Using AI Will

   👧🏻 ABOUT THIS EPISODE She was sick in bed, scrolling her inbox, and almost deleted the email as spam. It was Cengage (Milady’s parent company) asking her to be a contributing author on the next aesthetics edition because they’d found her teaching skin of color on TikTok. Six months later, she was on a set in LA shooting facial demos for twelve hours straight. Armenthia Carr, ASCP’s 2026 Esthetician of the Year, joins Laura and Brandy from just over the bridge in North Little Rock. This one is for anyone who’s ever felt boxed in by their license. Armenthia has built a thousand-student teaching career, an online CE company, a textbook credit, and a corrective skin practice, all inside the scope of an esthetics license. Along the way, she gets honest about what schools still aren’t teaching about melanin-rich skin, why following a brand protocol without reading the skin in front of you is malpractice-adjacent, and why “AI won’t take your job, but somebody using AI will.” 🧠 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN How many careers actually live inside an esthetics license (teaching, CE sponsorship, textbook authorship, brand education, social media), and why the treatment table alone won’t hold up your back for thirty years Why a brand protocol is a starting point, not a prescription, and what happens when you put salicylic acid on dry, acneic skin because the sheet said to How to learn ingredients instead of product lines, so you can still serve a client when you run out of your favorite brand What the education gap around skin of color actually looks like from inside a classroom, and how to close it for yourself The “loud and right” rule: how to research a position (medical journals, dermatologists, podcasts) before you advocate for it, and how to own it publicly when you’re wrong How an AI dermoscope changes the client conversation from “trust me” to “look at this” ⏱️ CHAPTERS (00:00) Meet Armenthia Carr, Esthetician of the Year(04:48) Chicago Beauty School to Arkansas Homecoming(08:38) Becoming a Milady Textbook Author(13:17) Building IAMA Artistry Online(17:17) The Skin of Color Education Gap(20:09) Protocols Versus Reading the Skin(25:13) Mentorship: My Ceiling, Your Floor(32:27) Inside the SmartSKN AI Dermoscope(40:47) Using AI Without Losing Soul(43:26) Becoming the Woman You Needed(46:23) Wrap & Farewell 💡 TIP OF THE WEEK Before your next facial, pull the ingredient deck for every product on your shelf and learn what’s actually doing the work, not what the brand’s protocol card tells you to reach for. The day you run out of your go-to serum mid-week, ingredient knowledge is the only thing that lets you finish the appointment without wrecking someone’s barrier. 🛍️ PRODUCT OF THE WEEK SmartSKN AI Dermoscope (https://smartskn.com/), a handheld device that images skin at 60x, reads moisture levels, and merges it all with a client questionnaire to return skin type, hydration, wrinkle depth, sensitivity, redness, and oil production. Armenthia has run 100+ scans and says it hasn’t missed yet. Head to the For Professionals tab, and you get a one-on-one onboarding with her when you buy. 🔗 RESOURCES & MENTIONS Armenthia Carr, esthetician, educator, mentor, and advocate for skin of color; ASCP’s 2026 Esthetician of the Year IAMA Artistry, iamaartistry.com (https://iamaartistry.com/), Armenthia’s education company and the best way to reach her or book a class. Approved CE sponsor in Illinois for hair, skin, nails, hair braiding, and instructors. Classes in microneedling, dermaplaning, chemical peels, threading, sugaring, and more, one-on-one or group 📅 Book a facial with Armenthia at Ur Skin Therapist (https://urskintherapist.glossgenius.com/services), 812 Reservoir Rd, Little Rock, AR. Corrective skin care: consultations, signature facials, chemical peels, microneedling, acne and teen treatments, waxing, threading, lashes, and brow lamination 📖 Booked, Paid & Unapologetic, available on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Booked-Paid-Unapologetic-Step-Step/dp/B0GXJ74TZP/), a step-by-step guide to the business side of a beauty career, for anyone tired of undercharging and overexplaining SmartSKN, smartskn.com (https://smartskn.com/), the AI dermoscope and custom Korean skincare line Armenthia serves as Director of Education for. Professional device info lives under the For Professionals tab Milady (Cengage), the standard aesthetics and cosmetology textbook. Armenthia is a contributing author on the upcoming aesthetics edition and shot the facial video content in LA; release expected late this year into next Associated Skin Care Professionals (ASCP), ascpskincare.com (https://www.ascpskincare.com/), where the Esthetician of the Year feature and full write-up are online in the magazine Talk about ingredients, not brands: salicylic acid vs. benzoyl peroxide for acne on dry skin; hydroquinone used correctly; balancing and repairing the barrier before treating pigment ✨ HIGHLIGHTS “If you’re not willing to put in the work, I’m not the esthetician for you. You’d waste your money and both of our time. I can refer you to somebody else.” “My ceiling is your floor. Everything I know, I’m going to teach you, and it’s your job to grow with it.” “In order to be loud about something, you have to be loud and right, not loud and wrong.” “A brand can give you a protocol. But if they’re not physically looking at the skin, you can have acne and dry skin at the same time.” Social media: “You can be the best in the business, but if nobody knows about it, it doesn’t matter.” “AI is not going to take your job, but somebody using AI will.” “AI can’t touch people. AI can’t have that emotional connection with the client. Only you can do that.” “This is a trillion-dollar industry. There’s plenty to go around.” When teaching: “I want you to feel like a towel that’s been wrung out at the end of the day. This is your education, so ask me everything.” “That license opened more doors for me than my four-year degree ever did.” 💥 CONNECT WITH US 🎥 YouTube: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://www.youtube.com/@PrettySmartTooPod) 📸 Instagram: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://instagram.com/prettysmarttoo) 🎵 TikTok: @PrettySmartToo (https://tiktok.com/@prettysmarttoo) 👥 Facebook: Pretty Smart Too (https://facebook.com/prettysmarttoo) 🌐 Website: prettysmarttoo.com (https://prettysmarttoo.com/) 🙌 LOVED THIS EPISODE? Follow Pretty Smart Too on Apple Podcasts & YouTube - and leave us a review! It helps more people find the show. We read every single one. 💗 Wishing you love, peace, & great skin! Laura & Brandy XOXO 💋 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prettysmarttoo.substack.com (https://prettysmarttoo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

2. 

   25 Aug 2026

   Amy S. Smith

   👧🏻 ABOUT THIS EPISODE A teenager on a Young Democrats field trip sees the Rock the Vote bus parked in Little Rock and thinks: I want to be part of something bigger than me. Thirty-something years later, that same girl is a therapist, a mom of three, and, by her own description, “a very quiet and reserved person,” but now she's knocking on doors in Ward 2 in El Dorado, AR, running against an eighteen-year incumbent. Amy Smith is an underdog, and she knows it. She also isn’t a quitter. This one is about what it actually takes to raise your hand and show up for your community. Amy walks through what a city council member really does, why the flooded streets on the west side never seem to make the priority list, and the honest math of a town where over 50% of voters turn out for a presidential race and barely 15–18% show up for the local one that decides whether your street gets repaired. You’ll also get the practical stuff: what documents you need, where to go, and the date you have to beat in order to vote in this election. 🧠 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN What a city council member actually does day-to-day: ordinances, the city budget, and being the voice for residents who aren’t being heard Why local elections decide more of your daily life than the big ones How Amy plans to represent a ward that holds some of El Dorado’s wealthiest and poorest households Exactly what you need to register to vote in Arkansas and the deadline to beat The best advice for any woman thinking about running: don’t wait until you know everything ⏱️ CHAPTERS: (00:00) Cold Open — The Rock the Vote Bus(01:13) Welcome, Amy Smith — Ward 2, El Dorado(01:35) Thirty Years of Friendship, Theater & Birthday Music Videos(03:35) What Does a City Council Member Actually Do?(03:54) One Ward, Two Very Different Realities(04:50) Short West 2nd Street & a 23% Poverty Rate(05:52) Food Insecurity, No Grocery Stores, No Bus(06:54) Why She’s Running(07:28) The Streets That Flood & Never Get Fixed(08:16) What It Means to Run as a Woman(10:09) The Issues: Housing, Privacy & Drainage(10:53) Her Campaign Message(12:22) Underdog vs. an 18-Year Incumbent(13:48) What Female Empowerment Means to Amy(14:43) Advice for Women Who Want to Run(16:31) The Turnout Gap: 50% vs. 18%(17:07) How to Register — Documents, Places & Dates(18:27) Bill Clinton, Little Rock & the Spark(19:19) Wrap & Farewell 💡 TIP OF THE WEEK: Register to vote in Arkansas — Arkansas Secretary of State: Voter Registration Information (https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/voter-information/voter-registration-information). 🔗 RESOURCES & MENTIONS: Amy S. Smith for El Dorado City Council, Ward 2 — therapist, mom to May, Owen and Reagan, and a first-time candidate running on inclusivity, infrastructure, affordable housing, and residents’ right to privacy Register to vote in Arkansas — Arkansas Secretary of State: Voter Registration Information (https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/voter-information/voter-registration-information). You can also register at your county clerk’s office, the library, or the DMV Check your registration status — Arkansas VoterView (https://www.voterview.ar-nova.org/) 📅 Register by Monday, October 5th — Election Day is Tuesday, November 3rd. (2026 election dates (https://www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/for-voters)) Rock the Vote — the bus in Little Rock that started all of this for a teenage Amy at a Bill Clinton rally Michelle Obama — “There’s no limit to what we as women can accomplish” Madonna, “Express Yourself” — “Express yourself, don’t repress yourself,” Amy’s 90s-kid definition of empowerment Lend Me a Tenor — the last show Laura and Amy did on stage together in El Dorado at South Arkansas Arts Center ✨ HIGHLIGHTS: “Government should work for the people and by the people, not just for some people, by some people.” “One thing that I’ve learned about myself is that I’m not a quitter, even when the odds are against me.” “I’m usually a very quiet and reserved person, but this is a very important calling.” “Don’t wait until the timing’s perfect. Don’t wait until you think you know everything. Go out there, and you can learn as you go.” “They feel like their area is being neglected. I’m running to help them feel more included and heard.” “I hope the next generation, like my daughters, sees me being brave, taking risks, and is inspired to do the same.” “Not voting is a vote against yourself.” 💥 CONNECT WITH US: 🎥 YouTube: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://www.youtube.com/@PrettySmartTooPod) 📸 Instagram: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://instagram.com/prettysmarttoopod) 🎵 TikTok: @PrettySmartToo (https://tiktok.com/@prettysmarttoo) 👥 Facebook: Pretty Smart Too (https://facebook.com/prettysmarttoo) 🌐 Website: prettysmarttoo.com (https://prettysmarttoo.com/) 🙌 LOVED THIS EPISODE: Follow Pretty Smart Too on Apple Podcasts & YouTube - and leave us a review! It helps more people find the show. We read every single one. 💗 Wishing you love, peace, & great skin! Laura & Brandy XOXO 💋 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prettysmarttoo.substack.com (https://prettysmarttoo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

3. 

   17 Aug 2026

   Esthetician Morning Skincare Routine (20 Years In)

   👧🏻 ABOUT THIS EPISODE: Laura is standing in her bathroom, hair up, holding a nearly empty serum bottle she has cut open with scissors so she can scrape the last two days out of it with a cleaned makeup brush. “I’m only human after all.” That is the exact energy of this one lol. Twenty years of esthetician credentials delivered while yelling SCRUB, SCRUB, SCRUB and telling you to “exfoliate your dang chest already, honey.” You’ll walk away with her full morning routine in order: ZO Exfoliating Cleanser, ZO Exfoliating Polish, ZO Oil Control Pads or ZO Complexion Renewal Pads or MediCube Zero Pore Pad (https://walmrt.us/4g3rdPK), ZO Exfoliation Accelerator, ZO Illuminating AOX Serum, ZO Intense Eye Cream, Mama Sol SPF …plus the why behind each step, and the second half of the episode Laura gets honest about turning 50 soon, losing over 52 pounds since January 3rd, and the small daily changes that actually moved the needle. 🧠 WHAT YOU’LL LEARN: The #1 mistake clients make is never getting their skin truly clean, and how adding a 60-second-twice double cleanse fixes it. Remember your treatment products do not penetrate well enough into dirty skin. How Laura exfoliates every single day without wrecking her moisture barrier (and what makes that possible) The one product almost nobody talks about that exfoliates under your makeup all day without lifting it Which exfoliating pads match your skin type and the $21 drugstore-priced set that genuinely holds up The SPF rules that matter more than the brand, including the spot everyone forgets The unglamorous habit changes behind a 52-pound loss: food prep, minerals, spring water, and cutting alcohol ⏱️ CHAPTERS: (00:00) Welcome — Laura’s Turn in the Bathroom(00:47) The Cleanser She Won’t Live Without + The #1 Mistake(03:09) The Double Cleanse: 60 Seconds, Twice (03:30) Yes, She Exfoliates Every Single Day(07:05) Renewal Pads vs. Exfoliating Pads + The $21 Find(09:18) Exfoliation Accelerator: The Product Nobody Talks About(13:02) AOX Serum & The “Little Murderers”(14:45) Eye Cream, Weak Fingers & Happy Jobs(17:20) SPF — Use The One You’ll Actually Wear(20:40) Turning 50 & Losing 52 Pounds Since January 3rd(24:18) Hydration, Minerals & Ditching Table Salt(25:43) Why She Stopped Drinking (and the Red Wine Myth)(26:45) Clean Beauty, Lead Testing & “H2O Is A Chemical”(29:33) Wrap & Farewell 💡 TIP OF THE WEEK: Cleanse for a full 60 seconds, rinse, then do it again for another 60. Two minutes total, morning and night. Nearly every “my products aren’t working” problem starts with skin that was never actually clean. 🔗 RESOURCES / MENTIONS & LINKS TO PURCHASE: ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Cleanser — Laura’s every-single-day cleanser, ideal for normal to oily skin ZO Skin Health Exfoliating Polish — crushed magnesium crystals; 20 years in, and she hasn’t found better ZO Skin Health Complexion Renewal Pads & Exfoliating Polish Pads — renewal for sensitive/dry, exfoliating for tougher, oilier skin MediCube Zero Pore Pads (https://walmrt.us/4g3rdPK) — Laura’s loving these! ZO Skin Health Exfoliation Accelerator — the daytime, under-makeup exfoliant she says has no equal on the market ZO Skin Health Illuminating AOX Serum — vitamins A, C and E fighting free radicals, with light-reflecting illuminators Mama Sol SPF (https://www.shopmamasol.com/?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22029445420&gbraid=0AAAAApXvqknPbWYGf2MEXLlzg34_kkYfv&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4orUBhCjARIsAIbF3qw1hWl1nZkO1OsNUH2W-J8cnfoOfvzj2Ob_gBXPxGO9AFuhS8zU5qAaAkm9EALw_wcB) — zinc oxide, lavender, glass bottle; plus their eye SPF and lip SPF. Doesn’t sting through hot yoga or a sweaty Northwest Arkansas bike ride Lucy Lindsey (https://lucylindseybeauty.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoqfgok1DfGRG4gqAiD4-3iHwBcghh-UbeMQ8VaH69w0xfIOKQbx) — Laura’s sister and the source of the “start where the pigment is” application tip. Beautiful products, honestly underpriced Ve Neill Brushes (https://frendsbeauty.com/collections/brands-ves-favorite-brushes?srsltid=AfmBOopl_Atrl_Iot6wOR4ukH9cbWqvbVpXB12gnMbmdmtjIwvJ-qtiH) — the makeup brush that rescued the last drop of AOX BareMinerals (https://walmrt.us/467GB7I), Jane Iredale (https://walmrt.us/4cKf93w) & MakeUp Forever (https://walmrt.us/4qm3dKV) (https://walmrt.us/4qm3dKV)— the powders and contour stick that finish the look Baja Mineral Sea Salt (https://walmrt.us/4giI002) — 90 plus essential minerals intact, no additives; Laura’s swap for stripped-down table salt ✨ HIGHLIGHTS: “It’s killing them. It’s little murderers. It’s going deep and it’s fighting .. it’s fighting really hard for you.” “You exfoliate your skin every day? Are you crazy? Is your moisture barrier wrecked? No. It’s not.” “It’s a happy finger with a happy job.” “I don’t work for them anymore. I pay full price.” “H2O is a chemical. I’m doing the best I can.” “I’m proud of you, whoever you are out there listening. It’s not easy to get started, but you gotta get started.” 💥 CONNECT WITH US: 🎥 YouTube: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://www.youtube.com/@PrettySmartTooPod) 📸 Instagram: @PrettySmartTooPod (https://instagram.com/prettysmarttoopod) 🎵 TikTok: @PrettySmartToo (https://tiktok.com/@prettysmarttoo) 👥 Facebook: Pretty Smart Too (https://facebook.com/prettysmarttoo) 🌐 Website: prettysmarttoo.com (https://prettysmarttoo.com/) 🙌 LOVED THIS EPISODE: Follow Pretty Smart Too on Apple Podcasts & YouTube - and leave us a review! It helps more people find the show. We read every single one. 💗 Wishing you love, peace, & great skin! Laura & Brandy XOXO 💋 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit prettysmarttoo.substack.com (https://prettysmarttoo.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

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Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.