Taking the "Boo" Out of Boo-Boos

My sweet little cousin is in the hospital.  She's six, and has a chronic condition I won't go into, but suffice it to say, she's one sick little girl.  Several months ago, her Mom and Dad took her and her little sister to Disney World, where they went to the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.  When they posted the pictures for the family, I couldn't help but smile at those adorable children with their fancy princess dresses, sparkly hairstyles, and enormous grins.  Nothing was going to change the fact that this baby had to carry oxygen around the park, but darn it, at least she could feel like a million dollars doing it.  Now, Halloween is coming up, and while they probably won't be trick-or-treating around their neighborhood, I'm sure their amazing parents and grandparents will make sure those girls get to dress up.

I don't have any kids, yet, and I can only hope and pray that when I do, they never have to endure long hospital stays.  Unfortunately, life throws curveballs, and sometimes families find themselves having to try to figure out how to give a kid a "normal" childhood in a hospital setting.  Thankfully, sometimes there's help.

For families in over 100 children's hospitals across North America, some of that help is coming from Spirit Halloween stores.  You know, the seasonal shops that yearly take up residence in vacant storefronts?  Orange signs, lots of teenaged employees?  Yep, that's the one.

Through "The Spirit of Children" charity, volunteers truck in boxes of costumes and arts and crafts, all in an effort to spread a little bit of Halloween magic.  According to the Aurora Sentinel: 

“We bring Halloween to them,” said Matthew Fowler, store manager at the Spirit Halloween store on Colorado Boulevard in Denver. “This year, we’re planning on raising $2 million ... We want to make sure children are having a lot less scary time at hospitals...It’s literally life-changing ... It’s a great feeling,” Fowler said. “For one day, they can be somebody else.” 

The program has raised over $2.3 million since it began in 2006.  Donations are taken year round, and local donations stay local.  For more information or to make a donation, click on this link.

Today's dip into the magic bag o' samples yielded NARS Orgasm (sorry, Mom) Illuminator.  $29, Sephora.  I'm a devotee of the blush, so when I had to chance to try this, I jumped at it.  According to Sephora:

NARS Orgasm Illuminator lights your skin from within! Deceptively sheer and decidedly luminous, it magically transforms lackluster skin into a remember-me, luscious complexion. Flirt with foundation, go it alone, or go neck-and-neck with your décolleté. The effect is, well, orgasmic. 

I wouldn't go that far.  It's really nice, and I think I'm going to use it a lot, but I think they might be over-hyping things just a tad.  Basically, it's a liquid (really liquid--not even close to a cream) blush.  It's extremely sheer, and almost melts into your skin.  There's very little color payoff, per se, but it does leave a lovely, peachy-pink sheen wherever you put it.  I dabbed a drop on each eyelid and patted some onto my cheekbones right before applying my blush, and it gave me a nice, glowing look without being too shiny.  The shade came off slightly darker than my normal skintone, so it eliminated the need for bronzer, which always looks odd in Fall and Winter, anyway.  I did not put any on my nose, forehead, or chin, like I would a normal bronzer.  This is too pink for that, and I didn't want to look like my skin was flaring up. 

Now, would I pay $29 for it?  That depends.  I do think I'll get a lot of use out of it.  I think it could look really pretty on exposed shoulders come party dress season.  Then again, so could a lot of other products.  I think I'll use the rest of the tube before I make any decisions.  What do you guys think?  Have you tried it?  Any go-to faves for Fall/Winter glow?  Let us know in the comments.