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Side by side

18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay vs 18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste

70% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 30%. 18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay and 18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste share 4 ingredients among each other's most prominent.

Based on your consultation

Which of these fits your hair?

We check your pattern, moisture need, scalp, fragrance tolerance, weight sensitivity and more against each formula — and say which one lines up.

Your profile at a glance

  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here
  • Your answers appear here

When each one is the right call

What each formula is built for, from its own ingredient list.

  • Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay — curly-method routines
  • Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste — dry, thirsty hair

Side by side

Every trait, aligned

One row per trait, read from each product’s own ingredient list and record. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a “no”.

Trait
18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay — 2 oz container 18.21 Man Made

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste — 2 oz container 18.21 Man Made

Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$26 2 oz · $13.00/oz
$26 2 oz · $13.00/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 85% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Priced above most pastes $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 85% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Moisture level Same
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Medium A medium hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
—
Slip / detangling Same
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Weight on hair Same
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Same
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
Silicone / wax buildup Same
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
High Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them. Your hair
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate Your hair
Moderate Your hair
Hold system Differs
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
High Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Cast risk Same
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Humidity resistance
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
—
Oil absorption Differs
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Same
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Differs
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Present Fast-drying alcohol is present — it speeds drying and can read dry on the hair. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
  • Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
  • Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
from the formula stated by the brand reported by reviewers Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
More facts about each one
Type
Stylerpaste
Stylerpaste
Where to buy
18.21 Man Made · Ulta
18.21 Man Made · Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • curly-method compatible
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · brand states
Cruelty-free · brand states
Scent
Amber & spice · Sweet & vanilla
Amber & spice · Sweet & vanillaStrong
Hold
mediumThe current 18.21 Man Made and Ulta listings explicitly call this clay medium hold.
—
Finish
matte
—
Humidity claim
Yes
—
How often
as needed
as needed

Facts as we recorded them. A dash means we have not researched that field for that product — it is not a "no".

The bottom line

The bottom line depends on your hair

Which of these two suits you is a question about your hair, not about them. The consultation answers it — and tells you what your routine needs around it.

Take the consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

The detail behind the table

Where the readings above come from: the ingredient lists themselves, each brand’s claims checked against them, what owners report, and cost per ounce in context.

Shared and distinct ingredients

Shared and distinct ingredients

Computed from the ingredient lists as printed. "Shared" means both lists carry it; where it sits on each label is stated, because position is what tells you how much.

What both formulas carry

IngredientSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling ClaySweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
Cetearyl Alcohol
Softens
#5Supporting
#3Leading
Tribehenin
Buildup
#9Secondary
#6Supporting
Fragrance
Fragrance
#13Below the 1% line
#14Below the 1% line
Hydrolyzed Quinoa
Protein
#21Below the 1% line
#20Below the 1% line
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Fragrance
#22Below the 1% line
#21Below the 1% line
Glycerin
Moisturizes
#10Secondary
#7Supporting
Coumarin
Fragrance
#23Below the 1% line
#22Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay

Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste

Full ingredient list — Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay (24)
Full ingredient list — Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste (23)

Claims check

What each brand says, against what each formula shows

Claims are quoted from each brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when that product’s ingredient list actually speaks to it.

VerdictsSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling ClaySweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste
Supported
1
4
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
2
1
Potential conflict
2
1
water soluble
Potential conflictExpect to need a real cleanse.
Potential conflictExpect to need a real cleanse.

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay

  • medium holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • no shinePartly supportedA hint of gloss.
  • thickens hairPotential conflictLikely to weigh hair down.
  • defines textureStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • absorbs oilStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste

  • soft holdSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • frizz controlSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • smooths textureSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • touchableSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.
  • blow-dry compatibleStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.

What owners say

What people report

Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings, and we never balance one product’s themes against another’s by inventing them.

Both praised for hold. 18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay draws complaints about the packaging; 18.21 Man Made Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste draws complaints about the scent.

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay

Another buyer reports good hold and a non-glossy result with a pleasant, non-overpowering scent.

Ulta customer review from Ohio, submitted 2022

A reviewer finds the hold dependable without the waxy or heavy feel they expected from a clay, and says it became their go-to product.

Ulta customer review from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, submitted 2024

A dissatisfied purchaser received packaging and a texture that did not match the clay their husband had previously bought from a barber.

Verified Ulta buyer review from San Francisco, California, submitted 2022

One purchaser says the clay gives their boyfriend's fine hair useful texture and all-day wear when blow-dried, although they would prefer a little more hold.

Ulta customer review from Los Angeles, California, submitted 2025

Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste

A user with short wavy hair says it holds a mohawk in place without looking or feeling overloaded with product.

Verified Ulta buyer review from Richmond, Virginia, submitted 2022

A buyer says the paste works on both thin, puffy hair and thick, curly hair in their household.

Ulta customer review from Fort Liberty, North Carolina, submitted 2023

A customer with thick shoulder-length hair says two small amounts last through a hospital workday, still allow restyling, and look natural without weighing hair down.

Ulta customer review from Maryland, submitted 2025

One purchaser finds the product functional but says the scent is too strong and remains on their hands even after washing.

Ulta customer review from Boston, Massachusetts, submitted 2025

Price check

Cost per ounce, in context

Cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in. Value labels are computed from that percentile and from how many products that do the same job cost less; they are comparisons, not judgements about a brand.

$13.00/oz vs $13.00/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.

$1.50/oz median $7.92/oz $73.33/oz $13.00/oz Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, $13.00/oz Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, M

Every mark sits on one distribution because these are compared against the same set: 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling ClaySweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Priced above most pastesCosts more per ounce than most pastes; nothing in our library matches it closely for less.

Computed from cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced, and from how many products that do the same job cost less. It is a comparison, not a judgement about the brand.

Compare with something else

Close formulas to each of these, as their own comparison pages.

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay vs Fiber Pomade Flexible Hold Low ShineREUZEL · 96% function matchSweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste vs Sumotech Flexible Hold Cream SolidBumble and bumble · 99% function matchSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay vs Harry's Texturizing PuttyHarry's · 96% function matchSweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste vs Weightless Smooth + Curl Enhancer CreamCantu · 85% function matchSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay vs Clay Matte Medium Hold PomadeREUZEL · 96% function matchSweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste vs Pomade - 3.0 ozAmerican Crew · 81% function matchSweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay vs Manipulator Matte Hair Wax Paste With Strong HoldBed Head · 93% function matchSweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste vs Almond & Avocado Defining Crème GelDesign Essentials · 81% function match

Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay · Sweet Tobacco Soft Hold, Medium Shine Hair Styling Paste · All pastes in the library

How this page was made

  • This page is assembled from the same researched records the individual product pages render: identity, each ingredient list as printed, each brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. Nothing on it is written per comparison.
  • We do not rank these against each other. Which of them suits you depends on your hair, and that is what the consultation works out.
  • The formula similarity percentage is a stored, precomputed number: position-weighted overlap of the two ingredient lists blended with agreement on the attributes we derive. It measures how alike two formulas are, not how well either works.
  • The value band is a fixed label over two stored numbers: this product’s cost per ounce as a percentile of every product of this type we have priced, each at the size it is most often sold in, and how many products we score as doing the same job cost at least a quarter less per ounce.
  • The "Is this right for you?" panel reads only your own consultation answers, and it applies exactly the filters our recommendation engine applies. It is computed when you load the page and is never stored on it.
  • 4 sources were consulted across the products on this page.
  • Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice. We do not sell these products and take no placement fees.
  • This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.

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