I was the hair-coloring consultant for the movie Twilight. For the vampire look, makeup made the actors look pale, which created some challenges when it came to getting the hair color right. Robert Pattinson, in particular, looked very unhealthy in the first test shots, so I was tasked with solving this problem.

I decided on a warm tone for Rob, which is a classic look for pale skin. We used a demi-permanent bronze color overall, providing warmth without taking away from his sepulchral look. We then painted some golden blond highlights in the front to accentuate the amber contacts he wore in his eyes.

The second problem: This was a seven-week shoot, and Rob’s hair needed to look the same in scenes that were shot on day one as those from day 49. Since movie scenes are not shot in order, when an actor walks through a door, you don’t want to see roots that weren’t there when he knocked on it!

We created a technique for highlighting the actors' hair that I’ve dubbed “twilights.” We began the highlights one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch off the part or face line. That way, the re-growth didn’t show nearly as fast as when the highlights were placed right at the part, and there was no visible root line left behind.

Now we offer twilights to our regular clients at the salon. It’s a great recessionista trick. With that little tweak, highlights last nine to 12 weeks instead of needing maintenance in the usual six- to nine-week time frame. Hair still has great dimension, but roots grow in slowly. Now that overly highlighted hair is a thing of the past, it’s easy to look chic and save money at the salon.