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Side by side

Bed Head After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz vs Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

63% function match · 6 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 6%. Bed Head After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz and Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold share 1 ingredient 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.

  • After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz — protein-sensitive hair
  • Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold — protein-hungry 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
Bed Head After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz — 3.38 oz container Bed Head

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Protein-free
Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold — 11.7 oz container Bed Head

Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Strong hold
Price, size & price per ounce
$16–19 3.38 oz · $5.43/oz
$29.96 11.7 oz · $2.56/oz

Compared at different sizes — 11.7 oz against 3.38 oz. Per-ounce prices favour the larger bottle.

Value / price positioning
Upper-mid price for a smoothing cream $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs more than 51% of the 56 smoothing creams we’ve priced
Priced with its peers $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 57% of the 96 hairsprays we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Straight–Curly Smoothing and thermal products span straight through curly hair. Your hair
Straight–Wavy A light volumising formula — the lift it adds matters most on straighter hair. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
None found No humectants found — nothing here pulls water into the hair. Your hair
Hold system Same
High Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Synthetic polymer Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
High Conditioning agents sit high in the list — this is a detangling formula. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. Your hair
Light Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair. Your hair
Fragrance
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Prominent Fragrance sits in the first eight ingredients — a larger share of the formula. Your hair
Protein Differs
None No protein or amino acids in the list. Your hair
Prominent Protein high in the list — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. 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 (as stated)
—
Maximum A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Cast risk Differs
Likely Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out. Your hair
Unlikely Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely. Your hair
Oil absorption Same
None No absorbent powders or starches. 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
High in the list Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Covers the core
Who should choose this
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
  • Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
  • Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
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
Stylercream
Styleraerosol
Where to buy
Ulta
Bed Head · Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • protein-free
  • sulfate-free
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
—
maxThe current brand page explicitly calls this its strongest hairspray with 5 out of 5 strength hold and super-firm hold.
Finish
shine
shine
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

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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

IngredientAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 ozHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#11Below the 1% line
Phenyl Trimethicone
Buildup
#6Supporting
#9Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#10Below the 1% line
#5Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz

Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

Full ingredient list — After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz (34)
Full ingredient list — Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold (12)

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.

VerdictsAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 ozHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold
Supported
2
2
Partly supported
1
0
Stated by brand
0
3
Potential conflict
0
0

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz

  • Anti-frizz smoothingSupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.
  • Shine enhancementSupportedReflects light for visible shine.
  • Lightweight formulaPartly supportedDepends how fine your hair is.

Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

  • extra strong holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • 5 out of 5 holdStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • long-lasting controlStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • instant dryStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • natural shineSupportedReflects light for visible shine.

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.

Bed Head After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz draws complaints about weight and frizz.

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz

Frizz dropped by more than half after starting to use it, hair looks shinier and healthier without feeling greasy

Ulta 5-star reviewer

Overall rating trends strongly positive (4.5/5 across 340 reviews, 96% would recommend)

Aggregate Ulta review data

Hair still ends up frizzy even with regular use, and fine hair can't tolerate more than a small amount before it feels weighed down

Ulta 2-star reviewer with fine hair

Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

A straight, fine-haired customer says the travel size kept their short style in place through hot, humid weather.

Ulta customer review by Florence

A long-time user reports their style survives a 12-hour work shift without touch-ups, while also noting some cans have sprayed poorly or fizzled.

Ulta customer review by mandy h

A recent buyer says the nozzle clogged on two bottles and left about half the product unusable despite attempts to clear it.

Ulta customer review by Adi

One reviewer says the powerful stream requires distance and a learning curve to avoid overspray; they also found the finish crunchy even though the hold worked.

Ulta most-helpful critical review

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.

$2.56/oz vs $5.43/oz — Bed Head After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz costs about 2.1× more per ounce than Bed Head Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold.

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz

Against 56 smoothing creams with a computable unit price.

Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold

Against 96 hairsprays with a computable unit price.

Value readAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 ozHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold
Label
Upper-mid price for a smoothing creamSits in the middle of the range for smoothing creams per ounce.
Priced with its peersSits in the middle of the range for hairsprays per ounce.

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.

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz vs Foxy Curls Contour Curl Cream for Increased DefinitionBed Head · 89% function matchHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold vs Enviro 54 Natural Hold Hair SprayCHI · 93% function matchAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz vs Texture PasteRedken · 89% function matchHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold vs Enviro 54 Firm Hold Hair SprayCHI · 89% function matchAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz vs Details Defining CreamAG Care · 89% function matchHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold vs Extra-Body HairsprayPaul Mitchell · 85% function matchAfter Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz vs Pliable Styling PasteRedken · 89% function matchHard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold vs Travel Size Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Harder Firm Volumizing HairspraySexy Hair · 85% function match

After Party Super Smoothing Cream - 3.38 oz · Hard Head Hairspray for Extra Strong Hold · All smoothing creams 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.
  • 3 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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