Side by side
Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer vs PATTERN Curl Mousse
96% function match · 12 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 13%. Curlsmith In-Shower Style Fixer and PATTERN Curl Mousse share 1 ingredient among each other's most prominent.
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.
- In-Shower Style Fixer — protein-sensitive hair
- Curl Mousse — protein-sensitive 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”.
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
- Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
- Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
- Dry, thirsty hairhumectants and emollients both sit up front
- Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
- Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
- Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
- Soft, touchable finishesthe brand states a firm hold
- Scents bother youthis product carries a strong scent
- Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
More facts about each one
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- protein-free
- curly-method compatible
- sulfate-free
- silicone-free
- protein-free
- curly-method compatible
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.
$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
What only one of them carries
In-Shower Style Fixer
Full ingredient list — In-Shower Style Fixer (30)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Polyquaternium-69
- conditioning agent
- film former
- polymer
-
3
Glycerin
- humectant
-
4
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
-
5
Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract
- botanical extract
- humectant
-
6
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
7
Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
8
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
-
9
Ocimum Basilicum (Basil) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
10
Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
- antioxidant
-
11
Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract
- botanical extract
-
12
Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper) Seed Extract
- botanical extract
-
13
Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
14
Carapa Guaianensis (Andiroba) Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
15
Sodium Gluconate
- hard-water chelator
-
16
Carbomer
- thickener
- polymer
- film former
-
17
Butylene Glycol
- humectant
- solvent
-
18
Aminomethyl Propanol
- pH adjuster
-
19
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
20
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
21
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
22
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
23
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
24
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
- preservative
-
25
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
26
Citrus Limon (Lemon) Peel Oil
- botanical extract
- essential oil
- fragrance
-
27
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
29
Pinene
- fragrance
-
30
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
- fragrance
Full ingredient list — Curl Mousse (29)
-
1
Water
- solvent
-
2
Polyquaternium-11
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
-
3
PVP
- film former
- polymer
-
4
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
- amphoteric cleanser
- secondary cleanser
- cleanser
-
5
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
- botanical extract
-
6
Glycerin
- humectant
-
7
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
8
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
- oil
- emollient
-
9
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- light ester
- emollient
-
10
Biotin
- vitamin
-
11
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
12
Polyglyceryl-6 Caprylate
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
-
13
Sodium Chloride
- salt
- thickener
-
14
C12-18 Acid Triglyceride
- emollient
- light ester
-
15
Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
- conditioning agent
- 16 Sodium Glycolate
- Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
17
Sodium Benzoate
- preservative
-
18
Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
-
19
Ethylhexylglycerin
- preservative
- emollient
-
20
Fragrance
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
21
Benzyl Benzoate
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
22
Hexyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
23
Amyl Cinnamal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
24
Hydroxycitronellal
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
25
Linalool
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
26
Citronellol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
27
Limonene
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
28
Coumarin
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
29
Geraniol
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
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.
In-Shower Style Fixer
extreme strong hold
SupportedStructure that lasts the day.hold level 10
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.long-lasting definition
SupportedHolds a clump together.humidity protection
SupportedSmoother strands, less frizz.weather-resistant results
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.shine
SupportedReflects light for visible shine.no flaking or build-up
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.
Curl Mousse
weightless volume & touchable hold
Partly supportedNeutral on lift.crunch-free
SupportedNatural movement without stiffness.flake-free
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.never heavy
Stated by brandCan’t be confirmed from label.never sticky
Stated 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. PATTERN Curl Mousse draws complaints about tangling and weight.
In-Shower Style Fixer
Many users like the shine and frizz control after the cast is softened, often treating it as a one-and-done styler.
Wash-and-go usersReviewers commonly report unusually durable curl definition and hold that survives humid conditions or several days of wear.
Dense, curly, and coily users in humid climatesThe firm cast and thick feel divide reviewers: some appreciate the staying power, while others find it heavy, drying, or difficult to get right.
Fine-hair users and people sensitive to crunch or stiffnessCurl Mousse
Reviewers report shinier, healthier-looking curls and compliments after switching to this mousse.
Ulta repeat-purchase reviewerReviewers with type 4 curls call it one of the best mousses they've used, citing hydration and strong curl hold.
Ulta reviewer, self-identified Type 4 hairSome reviewers say curls go flat and tangle by the second day.
Ulta reviewer describing day-two resultsSome reviewers find the scent overpowering or unpleasant.
Ulta reviewer, scent-sensitivePrice 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.
$3.13/oz vs $3.50/oz — within about the same cost per ounce.
In-Shower Style Fixer
Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.
Curl Mousse
Against 138 mousses with a computable unit price.
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.
In-Shower Style Fixer · Curl Mousse · All gels 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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