In this study, the radiance contribution from formulating various pearlescent effect pigments into a skin cream was modeled using gloss map histograms created from digital photographs of clinical panelists. CIELab color data from the various pearlescent effect pigments applied to simulated skin tone drawdown cards was first collected to screen experimental candidates and to help select the concentration of pigment used in the formula. Optical microscopy was used to develop a simple coverage model to control for the differences in particle size and density of the effect pigments. In the subsequent in vivo study, panelists applied a weighed amount of cream containing various pearlescent effect pigments to the face and high-resolution digital photography images were collected on each panelist for image analysis. Gloss map histograms were developed through the software analysis of gray-scale images, which were used to describe the gloss, whiteness, and/or radiance contribution of each pearlescent effect pigment. The resulting gloss map histograms shared identifiable characteristics useful for statistical analysis and description. This methodology could serve as a novel way to investigate and describe the visual impact and benefit of formulating effect pigments in cosmetic creams intended for application on the skin.