Television’s fall season is now upon us and now, more than ever, shows are featuring female characters that are feminine and tough. This got our thinking; who are our favorite “tough as nails” small-screen beauties? Of course there are many we admire that didn’t make the list, but we wanted to take time to highlight our top five picks. 
1) Maggie Q as Nikita in Nikita This former model is kicking some serious butt as the title character on the CW’s Nikita. As a former government assassin who fights for the greater good and her own redemption, Maggie shows off her fighting skills, acting chops and that wickedly lean figure. We’re heads over heels in love with this vegan’s sculpted facial figures, fresh-faced look and absurdly healthy head of hair. 
2) Taraji P. Henson as Detective Joss Carter on Person of Interest On the show Person of Interest, the Oscar-nominee plays an idealistic cop who follows her own intuition instead of the rules. Whether she is chasing down criminals, bonding with her son or piecing together clues, we find ourselves captivated by her intense, smoldering stare and perfectly arched eyebrows. At 42-years-old, this woman looks better than most people half her age! 
3) Cobie Smulders as Robin Scherbatsky in How I Met Your Mother For eight seasons, Cobie has played the gun-loving, cigar-smoking, baby-fearing news reporter on CBS’s How I Met Your Mother. With her baby blue eyes, athletic build and unapologetic independence, it’s no wonder that all the characters, except Marshall, have lusted after this hilarious, strong babe (we’re looking at you Lilly!) Bravely facing life’s ups and downs, it’s her imperfections that make her truly beautiful. 
4) Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison in Homeland There has never quite been a character as brave or as flawed as Carrie Mathison. The extremely talented and dedicated CIA agent was the sole individual to suspect the impending terrorist attack and readily sacrificed her job and sanity to try to expose the truth. In the role, beautiful Claire Danes exemplifies inspiring strength and heartbreaking vulnerability that has won her overwhelming praise and a string of top awards. 
5) Kat Dennings as Max Black in 2 Broke Girls We’re here to talk about Kat Dennings’ eyes, and we don’t mean that as an innuendo. We could personally get lost for hours in those expressive, blue peepers of hers. In the show, Max correctly wears minimal colors on her eyelids in order to not detract from her icy irises and, instead, plays up her full lips with a rich hue. As a feisty, Brooklyn waitress in a late-night diner, the character of Max is full of witty one-liners that push people away and make her seem unshakable. However, underneath her hard exterior, she is a loyal friend who goes above and beyond to do the right thing.