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Side by side

Redken Brews Molding Paste vs Redken Sculpting Curl Gel

46% function match · 4 of the 13 functions we compared match Formula overlap 16%. Redken Brews Molding Paste and Redken Sculpting Curl Gel 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.

  • Brews Molding Paste — curl definition
  • Sculpting Curl Gel — 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”.

Trait
Redken Brews Molding Paste — 5 oz container Redken

Brews Molding Paste

  • Styler
  • Masstige
  • Sulfate-free
  • Strong hold
Redken Sculpting Curl Gel — 8.5 oz container Redken

Sculpting Curl Gel

  • Styler
  • Salon
  • Sulfate-free
  • Silicone-free
Price, size & price per ounce
$23–24 5 oz · $4.80/oz
$34–35 8.5 oz · $4.00/oz
Value / price positioning
Lower cost than most pastes $$$$$ Masstige tier · costs less than 82% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Same job for less elsewhere $$$$$ Salon tier · costs more than 83% of the 157 gels we’ve priced
Best for hair types
Curly–Coily A heavy formula: coarse, curlier strands carry it without flattening. Your hair
Wavy–Coily Co-washes, curl creams, and gels are built around wave and curl. Your hair
Moisture level Differs
Moderate Humectants in the working part of the formula. Your hair
High Humectants near the top — water-binding is a headline mechanism here. Your hair
Hold (as stated)
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Strong A strong hold, as stated by the brand. Your hair
Slip / detangling Differs
Moderate Conditioning agents are present, lower in the list. Your hair
Some Some slip, mostly from esters or silicones rather than conditioners. Your hair
Weight on hair Differs
Rich Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients. 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
Present Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients. Your hair
Protein Differs
Minor Protein appears, low enough to be a supporting ingredient. Your hair
None No protein or amino acids in the list. 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
Synthetic polymer 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
Oil absorption Differs
Some Absorbents appear, low in the list. Your hair
None No absorbent powders or starches. Your hair
Oils and butters Differs
None No oils or butters in the list. Your hair
Present, lower down Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch. 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
Humidity resistance
—
Claimed The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it. Your hair
Formula completeness
out of 10
Complete for its job
out of 10
Complete for its job
Who should choose this
  • 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
  • Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
  • Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
  • Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
  • Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Why you might skip it
  • 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
  • Scents bother youthis product carries a scent
  • Stretching wash dayswaxes stay until a detergent wash removes them
  • Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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
Stylergel
Where to buy
Ulta
Ulta
Free of
  • sulfate-free
  • sulfate-free
  • silicone-free
  • protein-free
  • curly-method compatible
Cruelty-free
Not 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"
strongStrong 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

IngredientBrews Molding PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Water
Neutral
#1Leading
#1Leading
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Stabilizes
#2Leading
#8Below the 1% line
Fragrance
Fragrance
#14Below the 1% line
#10Below the 1% line
Phenoxyethanol
Stabilizes
#11Below the 1% line
#6Below the 1% line
Limonene
Fragrance
#23Below the 1% line
#16Below the 1% line

What only one of them carries

Brews Molding Paste

Sculpting Curl Gel

Full ingredient list — Brews Molding Paste (30)
Full ingredient list — Sculpting Curl Gel (21)

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.

VerdictsBrews Molding PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Supported
1
2
Partly supported
0
0
Stated by brand
2
1
Potential conflict
0
0

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.

Sculpting Curl Gel

  • Defines curls for up to 72 hoursSupportedHolds a clump together.
  • Reduces frizz by 76% for up to 72 hoursStated by brandOnly the brand’s testing shows this.
  • Non-sticky, non-flaking, non-crunchy formulaSupportedNatural movement without stiffness.

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 and a clean rinse-out.

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

Sculpting Curl Gel

Best gel tried for defining wavy curls, with flexible hold and no crunchiness

reviewer with wavy hair

Delivers soft, crunch-free curls that feel silky and hydrated

curly-hair reviewer

Only gel found with strong hold that doesn't weigh hair down or feel sticky

repeat curly-hair user

Lightweight application that doesn't feel sticky going on

general reviewer

Worked well on a family member's biracial curls but left the reviewer's own hair dry and hard

reviewer comparing results across two different hair types

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.

$4.00/oz vs $4.80/oz — Redken Brews Molding Paste costs about 1.2× more per ounce than Redken Sculpting Curl Gel.

Brews Molding Paste

Against 90 pastes with a computable unit price.

Sculpting Curl Gel

Against 157 gels with a computable unit price.

Value readBrews Molding PasteSculpting Curl Gel
Label
Lower cost than most pastesCosts less per ounce than most pastes we have researched.
Same job for less elsewhereYou are paying above the range for a formula close to several lower-priced options.

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.

Brews Molding Paste vs Curl Defining Hair MousseBumble and bumble · 85% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Style Curl Shape Defining Spray GelGarnier Fructis · 89% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs Re-Works Styling CreamPaul Mitchell · 85% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs WhipAmerican Crew · 89% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs MITCH Clean CutPaul Mitchell · 83% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Hold & Cover EdgesAfrican Pride · 89% function matchBrews Molding Paste vs Axe Styling Messy Look Medium Hold Low Shine Flexible Hair PasteAxe · 83% function matchSculpting Curl Gel vs Flexible Fiber Hair Styling CreamOld Spice · 89% function match

Brews Molding Paste · Sculpting Curl Gel · 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.
  • 2 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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