I agree Hoffy. We are seeing photoshop used as a digital canvas more and more, especially in some variations of portraiture, glamour, advertising etc, where the result is so far removed from the original person's face and features that it sometimes looks like another person at first glance.
Interestingly I am not sure if this a bottom up, or a top down trend. Where what the masses are doing is influencing those at the pinnacle as far as photography goes, or that those at the top are creating new trends and the masses are then following. But if you look at the AIPP professional gold distinction winners you can see the highly edited photos are doing well at the top:
http://www.appa.aippblog.com/index.p...inction-award/
Then when you look at the gold award winners, it is even more prevalent :
http://www.appa.aippblog.com/index.php/2013-gold-award/
The 'old' method of doing a few tweaks is still my favourite.
I tend to smooth out a few wrinkles, remove a few blemishes and sharpen eyes, lips (teeth if visible), jewellery and maybe eyebrows, along with a few steaks of
sharpening through the hair if it has had a 'glamour blur' effect or similar applied. This is usually done by first removing the blur layer from the specified areas and then some minimal
sharpening to the key points.