A new method for optimizing the glossy appearance of facial make-up is proposed. Reflections from skin make-up comprise two components, specular and diffuse. Glossiness of the skin can be optimized by controlling the magnitude of the specular component in applied cosmetic foundation. To determine optimal appearance of glossiness, a series of images of a woman's face with make-up varying in the magnitude of specular reflection were synthesized using computer-graphics techniques, and 15 female volunteers selected the most beautiful skin from among those simulated faces. For calculating the specular component of the facial images, six bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDFs) were generated from the goniophotometric spectra of two foundation membranes that differed in reflectivity from each other. Results of the image evaluations on dark, normal or bright skin are shown. In addition, evaluation of images in which the specular component was shifted to blue caused by blue pearl pigments is shown.