Softening skin with Nude/FX

- While I generally prefer diffusion for softening skin, there is an alternative approach using gels or grats. Let's see how it works. First, I'll make this a smart object, and then apply the DFX package. Make sure to reset the image. The nude effects category is designed for really bringing out some of the skin tones. Let's zoom in here. Now, what's happening is a color gel designed to adjust the skin.

Now, essentially, it's applying a skin tone on top of the skin tones, warming the shot a bit. If we split this, you might find it a bit easier to see. Let's take it down the center. No diffusion has occurred, but the skin colors have been enriched, and I think it's pretty good. If you're looking for something very subtle, and you just want to bring out the skin tones, the nude effects can go a long way.

Additionally, feel free to explore some of the split tone options that we talked about earlier, bringing out different colors in the hair and the mid-tones for the skin, or sometimes the use of a sepia filter can also be a useful way to manipulate skin tones. Don't go too strong, but lower values of three to five tend to be a nice, quick fix. As we look at that image before and after, you see that the colors are enriched, and it takes on a darker, moodier feel.