Zoya Jem vs. Zoya Valerie

I recently won a giveaway for four Zoya nail polishes which was awesome because I'm a Zoya addict!  "Valerie" had been on my list to buy for a while, so this was a great opportunity for me to grab her.  I saw Temptalia's swatch and thought she was so pretty, and I especially loved the black base.

Valerie was the first of the four polishes I chose that I painted on when I received them, and I was disappointed with what I found.  She's still a beautiful color, but in my eyes she's almost identical to Jem, which I already own.  I was glad that I at least didn't pay for the polish, but had I realized they were so similar I would have picked a different shade.

These photos might not be the best guides, but the only visible difference between Jem and Valerie is that Valerie has a blacker base, and even then it's hard to tell unless you really look up-close.

Bottom Line: Valerie and Jem aren't exact dupes (I don't think Zoya would ever do that to us), but they're so similar that I don't think there's any need to buy both of them.  If you want a redder base, go with Jem; if you want a black base, go with Valerie.  Either way, you're getting a beautiful purple polish with great shimmer!