EFFECTS & OUTLINE TEXT?

hiii.
I was wondering if anyone could help me get this effect or if there are any tutorials that would be great!

Image hosted by TinyPic.com & Image hosted by TinyPic.com

I like eveything about these icons: how the skin is SUPER "clear-skinded", a bit blurry & mega enhanced. Then, the eyes & lips, in turn, are very clear & stand out. I'm pretty sure they just used the sharpen tool for that, but i'm unsure, so help?

p.s. I'm a newbie at making icons! So can you also tell me how to get text outlined? I use PS 8.0.