I am fascinated by this photo...
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGallDetail.asp?photoID=1621612

It's a cross between softened real skin and completely annimated skin.

I'm familiar with ways to soften skin and give it a glow. But that doesn't come close to this pic.

Anyone out there know how to do this. I'm a photoshop novice and love to play. Don't need a recipe just what tools/filters/techniques I could tinker with..

Looks like they have put a blue Photo Filter onto this to cool the colour tone. It is in the adjustment layers in the layers pallet.

A trick i read recently for that kind of metallic contrast is to adjust the lightness or value of an image.
In photopaint i change to lab colour mode and use the lightness channel to run a tone curve in there, found this link for photoshop, hope it helps - http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/photoshop-curves.htm

Your sample also looks like she's been smudged or blurred and outlined with the dodge tool for glow.