I had so much fun last night at Mom It Forward’s #GNO. What is this, you may ask? #GNO is an event held on Twitter on Tuesday nights and stands for “Girls’ Night Out.” Each week, participants gather together on Twitter.com to have a discussion about a particular topic. The topic? Having the family and bringin’ home the bacon, a.k.a. lifelong learning!

I was a supporting panelist last night on #GNO and talked about the beauty industry and the perks of earning a beauty or wellness degree. Flexible schedules and a 46 percent self-employment rate in the beauty industry are key benefits to fitting into busy lives. In fact, I think I may have convinced myself that I want to go to beauty school.

So where can I and all my other loyal followers get started? The Moms Back at School site is just the place to do so. And you don’t have to be a mom to get in on the action – I’m not.

Take it from @HeatherO …

Don’t worry if you missed the Twitter Lifelong Learning event. You can read some follow-up posts and follow us on Twitter for more info. Or, to get in on a school search right now, head to Moms Back at School.

Thanks to all those who participated and made this such a successful event!

-Amanda Fornecker

Beauty blogging is my favorite kind. Here, you’ll get some good feedback from beauty bloggers who have tried out products and are really into what they do. From product reviews and beauty school spotlights to everyday beauty advice and new tricks-of-the-trade, you’ll find a wealth of information from those who really enjoy what they write about.

Even lovelier? We’ve decided to put all of this beauty information in one place — a blog carnival all about “Beauty Smarts.” This includes cutting-edge information on beauty and cosmetology schools, new products to enjoy, to-die-for make-up and hair styling, and just about anything that will make our everyday beauty routine easier (and us more glamorous!).

Haven’t you always wanted all the best beauty bloggers to come together in one place?! You can have that now in the “Beauty Smarts” blog carnival. The first one will be hosted right here at SpaBeautySchools.com/blog, but future installments will be hosted at different beauty blogs to spread the love to all readers and make them aware of the most beautiful blogs on the planet.

The “Beauty Smarts blog” carnival is scheduled to appear every 3rd Monday of the month. Get going and submit your blog posts to the carnival now for consideration! (We reserve the right to refuse anything off-topic or irrelevant. Gotta’ keep the spammers out!)

Be sure to share this information with other beauty bloggers and spread the word! The goal here is to build a strong network of beauty bloggers to share links, drive traffic, and get all your hard work out to both beauty-obsessed and beauty-challenged individuals.

Questions? Send me an email or DM me on Twitter.

Check out the latest versions of the Beauty Smarts blog carnival!

• The Mind, Body, & Soul – 1st Edition
• The Oscar After Party – 2nd Edition
• 2009 Spring Beauty – 3rd Edition
• The Beauty Grab Bag – 4th Edition
• Summer Summer Summer Time – 5th Edition
• Beautiful Bloggers – 6th Edition
• The Labor Day Prep – 7th Edition

Nothing is more sought out than the advice a beauty professional can dish out to his or her clients. This is why it is so important for these professionals to know the best techniques for any beauty routine. Recently Empire Education Group surveyed some of their cosmetology students to get their opinions on different beauty routine topics.

The cosmetology students at Empire were asked to give their opinions on styling, eyebrow removal techniques, nail enhancements, and more. The results of this survey may or may not surprise you, but knowing how these students responded may just help you with future client consultations.

The results of this survey were as follows:

1. 66 percent of students stated that the biggest styling mistake a person can make is not using enough styling products.
2. 59 percent said that the most difficult hairstyle to complete at home is an updo.
3. 74 percent said that the eyebrow removal technique that lasts the longest is hot wax.
4. 56 percent said that people with sensitive skin should not use any type of exfoliator.
5. 61 percent declared that nail enhancements are always in style.
6. 54 percent said that makeup brushes are the absolute most necessary tools to have in your makeup bag.

For more information on Empire Education Group and how to get your start as a beauty professional at one of their schools, click here.

- Priscilla Rodriguez

With so many beauty schools out there how are you supposed to choose?? Each week SpaBeautySchools spotlights a different school to give you an idea what each offers. Otherwise, it seems rather overwhelming to figure out where you’ll fit in the best. Check out these beauty and wellness schools and get going on your search for the perfect Spa or Beauty School. And don’t forget to take a peak at some of our past Featured Schools.

California Academy for the Healing Arts
Energy healing, Reiki, and massage therapy are just some of the concentrations you’ll find at the California Academy for the Healing Arts. With structured programs, practice in the field, and a variety of training courses, you’ll be able to earn your certification in no time at all!

Cameo Beauty Academy
Cameo Beauty Academy is a Redken premiere school that has been educating cosmetologists for almost 50 years. Full-time and part-time possibilities ensure that each student can obtain a flexible schedule to fit their lives.

Center for Massage and Natural Health
Equine massage courses and herbalism are some of the unique programs offered at the Center for Massage and Natural Health. These 600-hour certificate programs prepare students to sit for the licensing exams so that they may work in the field of their choice.

Adrian’s Beauty College
Adrian’s Beauty College uses the Pivot Point International curriculum to teach its students esthetics, color theory, makeup, and more.

ACI Career College
ACI Career College is more than just a massage therapy school. From pharmacy technicians and medical assistants, students get to choose from a wide spectrum of programs.