The jury is still out on whether it's even possible. Nevertheless, the majority of women who use these miracle moisturizers are pleased with the results. Shine a light directly on your face and scrutinize your wrinkles in the mirror. Deprived of their shadows, lines and imperfections are less apparent. Whatever the benefits of such products, what makes them special is how they reflect light from the skin.
Light is also the secret ingredient in fashion photography.
Light is also a critical element in how the rest of us look. What with tripods, lights, and reflectors, it's more cumbersome than a makeup kit, but a lot more effective. Even for the least narcissistic among us, it's sometimes hard to ignore the values of a culture based on shadow plays, illusion, and the star system. The emphasis on good looks, defined by Hollywood in the 1920s, is a phenomenon that's specifically American. European cinema never completely embraced the glamorization of actors, and as a result, people abroad are less susceptible to celluloid images of perfection.