With the help of Virtual Photographer's Halo preset, I created this rendering; it combines two features that I really like: High-Key and Glow. I hope you all like it. I did open up the shadow areas of her left eye some more too. I used the corrected color version that I did first to create this version.
Only PS, three layers, using high pass and blur, eyes/nose/eye brows and lips masked, takes about a minute to do... End result is in my oppinion, quite nice, not too plastic... And the original picture is not tampered, only layers used, so you can adjust the intesity of the softning...
For blur(Median Filter in the sample) just use gaussian blur and then may be median, so that the burring is enough, for HP se 0,8 pix radius... or try your own values...
Just move your mouse over the layers and you will see the blending modes also note the the Main Set where the original picture is, is set to Pass Trough. The Smoot set's fill value will gve you the intensity of the softning, so it's adjustable in the end...
Personally I think Lyjek's original post is the best improvement. It maybe just me but I hate those overly 'airbrushed' portraits, they just look fake. What I like about lyjeks is that you can still see the skinpores thru the softening treatment applied. Top stuff Apart from the overly sharpened hair which you mentioned.
Process was very simple, duplicate layer and apply median filter. Add layer mask an brush away areas you don't want to soften. Reduce opacity and a little bit of healing on the skin blemishes on the bground layer
