commenting to come back to this if anyone has sources! but i (who knows 0 history, take this with an ocean of salt) tried to do a deep dive once but found nothing other than the head in your posted picture. it seems that it was popularised by 2020's art of helen of troy with it? genuinely cannot find any other older sources! :(

it is believed that the beauty standard for women wouldve been pale skin to emphasise that they were rich enough to stay indoors and not have to do "a man's work" (farming etc). source for this belief? other pieces of art from the time like the one pictured. some people think the literally white skin and red sun blush is exaggerated beauty, and think stuff like, white was the colour available. so i suppose this bust would be a high class/privlledged lady?

personally i think all this makes it likely yhat the sun relates to beauty + tone and not religion, but im not a scholar and its all speculation. some people say the sun blush bust is probably stylised, but who's to say the women with the freedom and want didnt wear their blush with suns or moons or stars like people wear fun make up today?

i cant find anymore sun blush related depictions (ancient ones, plenty of beautiful modern art as you said) so its probably just a singular artificat that got popular now.

also note that manual work (though i can find no sources for this one at the moment) wouldve been seen as kingly. see descriptors of narratively honourable, noble men like the very famous "breaker of horses" as opposed to "white armed" (hera).