Walk The Line

72 percent of adults named their eyes as their favorite facial feature. It's for this reason so many women spend more time perfecting their eye makeup than foundation, bronzers and lipstick. Celebrity Beauty Expert Darrell Redleaf offers some new insight on playing up this favorite feature via eyeliner with information on how to choose the right formula, color and application techniques.

"The first step in choosing a liner is finding the right formula," says Darrell Redleaf, celebrity beauty expert. "From basic pencils, to shadows, gels and liquid eyeliners there are a bevy of beauty options depending on the look you are trying to achieve."

Pencils are a classic option and can be used to define or can be blended for a softer look. Shadows, on the other hand, are a new way to utilize your beauty bag. You can use your existing shadows and wet slanted liner brush to apply. Shadows are a great option because often they feature a broader color range than basic pencils.

For long lasting coverage, gel and liquid formulas are the best option. These formulas are more dramatic and great for evening. Another plus for gels and liquids is that they are long lasting and do not smear as pencils can sometimes do. Waterproof and smudge-proof are important words to look for when purchasing one of these formulas.

After finding your perfect formula, the next step is choosing the right color. Darrell recommends bronze and gold shades to enhance green and blue eyes, while darker eyes can opt for taupes and browns. Most importantly, it's all about technique. Darrell recommends blending the liner (either a shadow or pencil) at the root of the lashes and blend up and out in a 45 degree angle for an instant lift. You can use an angle brush for a more defined look or use an eye smudge brush for a smoky look. You can create different looks by using different brushes.

For a dramatic look, you can wing a liquid eyeliner or eye gel up a bit. But avoid winging too much otherwise it can look theatrical.

Define Your Eyes

Eyeliner #1: Tarte EmphasEYES High Definition Eye Pencil

This soothing, soft liner from Tarte glides on your skin effortlessly. The product is formulated without synthetic fragrances or dyes, making Tarte's liner a fabulous way to get a smoking nighttime makeup look naturally. We're particular fans of the Charcoal color, which is a very sophisticated and sultry shade of gray, though all five of the shades offered are stunning. $18 from Sephora.com.

Define Your Eyes

Eyeliner #2: Stila Convertible Eye Color

Stila's creamy eyeliner pencil would be lust-worthy enough on its own, but when coupled with a matching powder eye shadow, it's an absolute beauty product must-have. This wand has a pencil-free liner on one end and an eye shadow with built-in applicator on the other. The shadow and liner colors coordinator flawlessly to make a product that is the ultimate in convenient, on the go beauty. $22 from Sephora.com.

Define Your Eyes

Eyeliner #3: Giorgio Armani Liquid Eye Liner

The marker-like tip of this liquid liner makes it incredibly easy to draw lines of varying thickness. The matte black color is all the ease and elegance you would expect from the name Armani. Best of all, when they say smudge-proof, they really mean it. $30 from SaksFifthAvenue.com.

Define Your Eyes

Eyeliner #4: Smashbox Cosmetics Cream Eye Liner

Not all liners are in stick form. In fact, one of our absolute favorites comes in a pot! This cream eyeliner by Smashbox is applied with a brush, giving you total control over the application process so you can customize your makeup look completely. The cream formula also has remarkable staying power. The liner comes in many gorgeous colors however we're particularly smitten with "Picasso," a deep ink blue color. $22 from Sephora.com. Can't decide on a color? Get ten of them in an adorable and convenient palette that also comes with a mini brush. It makes a perfect stocking stuffer come holiday gifting time, though it will certainly be hard to give away. $32 from Sephora.com.

Define Your Eyes

For really making your eye makeup pop, eyeliner is a girl's best friend. But with so many on the market, it can be overwhelming to find the perfect one. We've searched high and low to create this list of five best eyeliners for you.

Eyeliner #5: Givenchy Magic Kajal Eye Pencil

For a sultry night out on the town, this carbon black liner is the ultimate in nighttime eye makeup. The wax and oil infused formula makes for a fluid and creamy liner, ensuring even application without any effort on your part. Most importantly, however, it stays put: even a test run of an eight hour night out and about in the scorching summer heat hardly budged it. Runny raccoon eyes are a thing of the past! $21.50 from Sephora.com.

Perfect Nails At Home

Manicures are fun -- and who doesn’t want her fingernails to look fun and stylish? Getting one a week, though, can put a major dent in your pocketbook. So invest in some tools of the esthetics trade and start giving yourself at-home manicures instead. You'll save money, and home-brushed nails can last longer than those painted in the salon.

What you need

• Nail polish remover
• Cotton balls
• Q-tips
• Nail clipper/scissors
• Emery board
• Cuticle oil
• Cuticle stick
• Nail polish
• Topcoat/basecoat

How to give yourself a manicure

Clean your hands & nails thoroughly.

Using soap and water, get underneath the nails to remove any dirt. If you have nail polish on, use nail polish remover and a cotton ball to completely clean the nail surface. Use a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to clear anything left around the edges.

Trim and shape your nails.

If your nails are long, trim them using a nail clipper or pair of nail scissors. Once complete, file raggedy edges down with an emery board. Round or square off the nail with long, smooth strokes of the emery board against the nail tip (this prevents nail splitting, which can happen if you file using short strokes).

Soak cuticles.

To soften your cuticles so you can push them back with a cuticle or orangewood stick, soak your fingertips in soapy water for a few minutes. Once the cuticles look whiteish, grab your tool of choice and gently push the cuticle into the nail bed. This process shouldn't hurt, so if you feel pain, stop. Also, never cut or tear your cuticle; that could lead to infection.

Pick your polish.

Start with a clear basecoat to protect your nails. Use three stokes of polish on each nail: Middle, then on each side. Let the basecoat dry, then apply colored polish in the same way. Be sure to let the polish dry completely in between coats. Once you've applied all layers, add a topcoat to protect the color. Quick-dry polish helps set the color. Remove any polish that landed on your skin with a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover.

Other hints for home manicures

• Practice makes perfect. The more you do it, the better your nails will look in the long run.
• If your cuticles are really dry, apply cuticle oil to the beds before soaking your nails.
• Light polish is easier to maintain than dark polish.