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Natural Awakenings Naples and Fort Myers

Betty Ann Murphy Captures Our Best Side

Jul 31, 2015 02:10PM ● By Linda Sechrist

Betty Ann Murphy

Betty Ann Murphy, owner of Extreme Extensions and Eyelashes, in Naples, wasn’t planning to attend any hairstyling academy or school for beauty after graduating from high school. While she had teenage daydreams of becoming a flight attendant with an adventurous lifestyle, her parents had other ideas. Murphy fondly recalls, “I was one of seven children. The girls in our family were expected to be teachers.  My dad wanted me to attend Framingham State University, once known as a school for teachers. He thought I’d make a great home economics teacher because I was good at cooking and sewing. When it came time to enroll, there was no liberal arts degree offered, so he said, ‘Just check off history. I did.”

After college, Murphy taught school for a while, but eventually felt drawn to study acting in New York City. When that dream didn’t come to fruition, she returned to Massachusetts. “I was trying to get a job in airline reservations when my aunt suggested I enroll in school to become a hairstylist, because I had a real knack for styling my blow-dry hairstyle,” she explains. “I did, but didn’t get all my hours in before moving to Las Vegas, where I actually finished school and got my certification. The fun part started when I began working as a manicurist at Caesar’s Palace. I got to work on a number of the stars—Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Linda Carter—and others who performed there.”

Murphy remained in Vegas for five years, during which she married, became a mother, and divorced. “I moved back to Massachusetts and opened my first salon, which I owned, and eventually relocated two doors away. It was a very successful salon for 26 years. Out of all the salons in the U.S., I was designated Salon of the Year in 1998 by Modern Salon magazine.”

A master stylist, color expert and advanced eyelash extension expert, Murphy is the creator of the Visage Beauty Consultation—a one-on-one, hour-long interactive beauty consultation that uses computer science to analyze a series of facial measurements. She got the idea while working with Diana Ross. “I overheard her talking on the phone about an HBO special she was filming. The conversation was about making sure the camera operators directed their lenses to her best side. That planted a seed about visually drawing the eye to a woman’s best side, and I began to study the scientific evidence behind it,” explains Murphy, who notes that styling, lashes and makeup are organized around balance, symmetry and cooling or warming the face.

Murphy’s Visage Beauty Consultation eliminates the trial and error of finding the right frame for the face. She takes a digital photo and uploads it to the computer, which then measures the face in five different directions. Depending on the natural hair growth pattern and placement of the eyes, the computer determines which style best frames the face and makes the eyes the focal point. “It’s an in-depth, more serious salon consultation for cut, style, hair color and makeup. Some women have referred to it as the $99 facelift,” she quips.

Studio 37 Xtreme Lashes and Hair is located at 501 Goodlette Rd., Ste. B-104, in Naples. To make an appointment or get more information, call 239-263-5434 or visit Studio37xtremelashesandhair.com.