1. A method of enhancing an appearance of a face within a digital image, comprising using a processor in: acquiring a digital image of a scene including a face, including capturing the image using a lens and an image sensor, or receiving said image following capture by a device that includes a lens and an image sensor, or a combination thereof; identifying the face within the digital image; identifying within the face one or more sub-regions to be enhanced with localized luminance smoothing; applying one or more localized luminance smoothing kernels each to one of the one or more sub-regions identified within the face to produce one or more enhanced sub-regions of the face, wherein the applying comprises applying the one or more localized luminance smoothing kernels to luminance data of the one or more sub-regions identified within said face; generating an enhanced image including an enhanced version of the face comprising certain original or otherwise processed pixels in combination with pixels corresponding to the one or more enhanced sub-regions of the face; and displaying, transmitting, communicating or digitally storing or otherwise outputting the enhanced image or a further processed version, or combinations thereof.