Sephora Pantone Nail Polish in Cradle Pink, Parachute Purple - Swatches, Review, Photos

I was transfixed when I first saw promos for the new Sephora Pantone nail polish. They looked positively gorgeous! And shiny! and duochrome-y! As soon as I could, I ordered two - Cradle Pink and Parachute Purple.

L to R: Parachute Purple, Cradle Pink

And after getting them? I have to admit I'm sort of 'meh'. They're perfectly nice, perfectly pleasant, but I have enough lacquers now that I hate to settle for anything less than mind-blowingly rad and these fall well below that bar. Here's Cradle Pink, a shimmery pink/purple topcoat:

One coat of Cradle Pink is shown over, from pointer to pinky, CND Blackjack (black creme), OPI If You Moust You Moust (medium pink creme; also, most awkward name ever), Zoya Dove (light grey creme), and Nars Koliary (bright medium blue creme).

Cradle Pink adds a pretty veil of shimmer over a base polish, but the effect is quite subtle in natural light and only became noticeable with a heavy dose of flash (and even then it's not overwhelmingly strong). I think my favorite combo is with the grey; Cradle Pink adds a touch of sauciness to an otherwise neutral and subdued manicure, while still skirting the line of being work-appropriate. Nevertheless, if you want a wash of shimmer over an under-polish, I would recommend checking out the CND Effects line over this shade.

Parachute Purple, a violet with green-blue duochrome shimmer:

The formula was ultra-rich, barely requiring two coats. Again, though, the duochrome shimmer is quite subtle. I feel that, with the recent influx of duochrome collections, a better option is out there.

What do you think?