Its actually not too tough an effect to make. You use RGB curves to turn up teh colors, but keep the dark, blur it at a value of 5, , mix it(with the add mix filter) with the original render.
as far as crits go, the first one is perhaps too hard, though still nice, the second one i really like, it gives that great artistic soft effect, something i’ve been looking for internally in some of my renders…i really need to just get over myself and learn these damn nodes now