how to retouch clean skin with colors

okay now i found this photo i created about…. 4 or 5 years ago back while learning how to shoot with the Minolta dimage 7 and studio lighting using two bowls with 200 watt lamps. i worked with one makeup artist who could read my mind when i couldn’t even read my own and accomplish the vision each and every time.

so yeah, i found the picture recently and by using photoshop i retouched it in photoshop to clean her face by only using colors. but before i get into details here is the before.

Cleaning up the face was done by only modifying selective colors, curves, and color balance in photoshop. isolating different aspects to different sections such as the eyeshadow and lips. didn’t use any airbrushing minus a very small amount of dodging to make the shine on her makeup a tad bit more .. well, shiney.

1. First was taking away the yellowish tone from bad white balancing and adding a more bluish tone.

2/3. Cleaned up the skin using the selective color by over balancing the red and yellow tones to compensate for the darker shades creating an even environment.

4. Used curves to create a more brighter tone.

The other layers are creative preferences. So there ya have it, a simple and creative way to clean up splotchy colors on skin using colors and no brushes.