Skip to main content

Side by side

Bumble and bumble Curl Defining Hair Mousse vs Redken Brews Molding Paste

85% function match · 9 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 35%. Bumble and bumble Curl Defining Hair Mousse and Redken Brews Molding Paste share 2 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.

  • Curl Defining Hair Mousse — dry, thirsty hair
  • Brews Molding Paste — curl definition

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
Bumble and bumble

Curl Defining Hair Mousse

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Moisture-rich
Redken Brews Molding Paste — 5 oz container Redken

Brews Molding Paste

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Strong hold
Price, size & price per ounce
$38 5 oz · $7.60/oz
$23–24 5 oz · $4.80/oz
Value / price positioning
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 94% of the 138 mousses we’ve priced
Lower cost than most pastes $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 82% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily The brand’s own claims name curly or textured hair. 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 system Same
Moderate Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Mixed Gums and synthetic polymers together. Your hair
Slip / detangling Same
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Medium Middle of the range — noticeable on fine hair, light on coarse hair. 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 (as stated)
—
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. 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
Oil absorption Same
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. Your hair
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Fast-drying alcohol Same
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
None No fast-drying alcohol in the list. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • 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
  • Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
  • Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable
  • Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Why you might skip it
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
  • Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
  • Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
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
Styleraerosol
Stylerpaste
Where to buy
—
Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
Cruelty-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Scent
Scented, not described
Scented, not described
Hold
—
strongUlta lists product under "Strong Hold" styling category; multiple reviewers describe "great hold" and "excellent hold without feeling stiff or sticky"
Finish
—
matte
How often
—
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

IngredientCurl Defining Hair MousseBrews Molding Paste
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
VP/VA Copolymer
Holds
#2Leading
#5Supporting
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Stabilizes
#5Supporting
#2Leading
Fragrance
Fragrance
#31Below the 1% line
#14Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Curl Defining Hair Mousse

Brews Molding Paste

Full ingredient list — Curl Defining Hair Mousse (41)
Full ingredient list — Brews Molding Paste (30)

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.

VerdictsCurl Defining Hair MousseBrews Molding Paste
Supported
0
1
Partly supported
2
0
Stated by brand
0
2
Potential conflict
0
0

Curl Defining Hair Mousse

  • lightweight hair mousse for curly hair that creates voluminous, bouncy curlsPartly supportedNeutral on lift.
  • deeply moisturizes hair, reduces frizz, and protects against humidity to keep curls lush and liftedPartly supportedNeutral on lift.

Brews Molding Paste

  • Strong holdSupportedStructure that lasts the day.
  • Matte finishStated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
  • Reworkable textureStated 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.

Curl Defining Hair Mousse

Creates bouncy curls with visible volume and lift without weighing hair down, which reviewers found especially beneficial for fine or thin hair textures.

Provides soft-hold curl definition without the crunchiness that many other mousses leave, and reviewers specifically praised the moisturizing feel of the formula.

Application amount matters significantly; using too much product causes the hair to feel crunchy and weighed down instead of soft and bouncy.

Controls frizz effectively while retaining moisture and hydration in curls, making it particularly appealing for managing humidity and environmental challenges.

Brews Molding Paste

A little goes a long way and it's easy to work through hair

verified Ulta reviewer

Gives great hold and a pleasant, long-lasting scent

verified Ulta reviewer

Excellent hold without feeling stiff or sticky, works well on oily/frizzy hair without extra grease

verified Ulta reviewer

A clear liquid separates out and comes out of the tube first, so it needs shaking before use

verified Ulta reviewer

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.

$4.80/oz vs $7.60/oz — Bumble and bumble Curl Defining Hair Mousse costs about 1.6× more per ounce than Redken Brews Molding Paste.

Curl Defining Hair Mousse

Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.

Brews Molding Paste

Against 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Value readCurl Defining Hair MousseBrews Molding Paste
Label
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.
Lower cost than most pastesCosts less per ounce than most pastes we have researched.

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.

Curl Defining Hair Mousse vs Re-Works Styling CreamPaul Mitchell · 85% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs Re-Works Styling CreamPaul Mitchell · 85% function matchCurl Defining Hair Mousse vs Straight Blow Dry Heat Protective Styling CreamBumble and bumble · 85% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs MITCH Clean CutPaul Mitchell · 83% function matchCurl Defining Hair Mousse vs Curl Defining Creme 5Kenra Professional · 83% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs Axe Styling Messy Look Medium Hold Low Shine Flexible Hair PasteAxe · 83% function matchCurl Defining Hair Mousse vs Blow Dry StylerOdele · 83% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs Sweet Tobacco Medium Hold, No Shine Hair Styling Clay18.21 Man Made · 81% function match

Curl Defining Hair Mousse · Brews Molding Paste · All mousses 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.

Still unsure? Take your consultation or browse more products.

Your personalized hair plan

Tell us what’s going on with your hair, see what we understand, and get a plan built around it — with the reason behind every recommendation.

Free to start · $49.00 for your consultation and hair profile · No subscription · Nothing you must buy

Start your consultation