Increases hair thickness and creates a lush, high-volume appearance
It reads light on the strand, which is what volume claims depend on.
- VP/VA Copolymer
- Polyquaternium-11
- Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Supported
Leaves room for lift.
Bumble and bumble
Thickening Blow-Dry Prep Spray - 8.5 oz
Styler / Volumizer, polymer-set
- Styler
- volumizer
- spray
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Curly-method
- Vegan · label states
- Cruelty-free · PETA-listed
Size8.5 fl oz
Price$36seen at one store · 8.5 oz
Price / oz$4.24/ozat 8.5 oz
Where to buy1 store · $36.00–36.00
Scent:
The ingredient list declares fragrance. What it smells of is not stated, and we do not guess.
Listing used for research: ulta.com
Personal fit
Is this right for you?
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Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Straight–Wavy
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Hold system
High
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
High
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Light
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
Prominent
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
None
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Low
Not in your profile
Parabens / preservatives
None of these listed
Not in your profile
Show all 22 factors we check
The rest of what your plan weighs on this product.
Essential oils
None listed
Not in your profile
Fast-drying alcohol
High
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Vegan · label statesCruelty-free · PETA-listed
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Vegan · label states
Not in your profile
Aerosol can
Pump or tube
Not in your profile
Needs heat to set
Not determined
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Not heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
12 ingredientsA short list
Not in your profile
Price tier
Salon
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Ulta · Brand website
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, then reads every factor in this table against it — and tells you where this product fits, or what to use instead.
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Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$4.24/oz at 8.5 oz — less than 52% of the 64 volumizers , which mostly run $3–6.80/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-hungry hairthat stretches and stays stretched when wet
Maximum slipfor hair that tangles the moment it is wet
Curly-method routinesno sulfates and no water-insoluble silicones
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Fine hairthat flattens under most products
Silicone-free routinesno silicones appear in the list
Maybe skip if
this product carries a scent
Protein-sensitive hairthat goes stiff or straw-like on protein
Very dry or damaged hairit contains fast-drying alcohol
Anyone who dislikes a castthe film formers here can set firm
Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers
What the formula actually does
Read from the label, not the marketing
Each row says where it comes from: F means we derived it from this product’s own ingredient list, S means it is a claim the brand makes that the formula neither confirms nor contradicts.
Hold system
Synthetic polymer
Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems.
Cast risk
Likely
Film formers without much softening them — expect a cast to scrunch out.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Oil absorption
None
No absorbent powders or starches.
Oils and butters
None
No oils or butters in the list.
Fast-drying alcohol
High in the list
Fast-drying alcohol in the first three ingredients.
Needs detergent to remove
No
Nothing here needs a detergent wash to remove.
Fragrance
Present
Fragrance is listed; it sits below the working ingredients.
from the formula
stated by the brand
reported by reviewers
Scale: 1 dot low · 5 dots high, within this product type.
Ingredients that matter
The ingredients that change a decision
The workhorse ingredients plus anything lower down that changes a decision. These chips name what an ingredient does — they are not safety scores, and no ingredient here is rated good or bad on its own.
| Ingredient | What it does | Why it matters | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|
| WaterWater/Aqua/Eau | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Alcohol Denat. | drying alcohol | Sets the style fast — the same reason it can read dry | Drying |
| Isopropanol | drying alcohol | Sets the style fast — the same reason it can read dry | Drying |
| VP/VA Copolymer | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Polyquaternium-11 | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Detangles |
| Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Protein |
| Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens — this is what makes it comb through | Detangles |
| Peg-75 Lanolin | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Stabilizes |
| FragranceFragrance (Parfum) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Eugenol | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesNo sulfates or silicones. Protein-forward — a strengthening formula, not a moisture one. Contains fragrance. Fast-drying alcohol is in the list.
Full ingredient list (12)
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Annotations keep three readings separate: the ingredient's general function, its role in this product type, and what its position can support.
-
1
Water
· Water/Aqua/Eau
General function
The base of almost every rinse-off and cream hair product. It carries everything else and is normally the first ingredient on the label.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
2
Alcohol Denat.
General function
Fast-drying alcohol used to make sprays set quickly. In leave-on products it can leave hair feeling dry, especially in high position on the list.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairEvaporates on contact, which is how a spray sets almost instantly and leaves no weight behind it.
May not suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairPorous hair gives water up easily as it is; a fast-evaporating solvent high on the list accelerates that.
May not suitVery dry or highly damaged hairIt evaporates quickly and takes some water with it. On hair already short of moisture, a formula built on a lot of it can finish drier than it started.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
3
Isopropanol
General function
A fast-evaporating alcohol used as a solvent and to speed drying. Low on a list it is a processing aid; high on one it can leave hair feeling dry.
Leading ingredientPubChemListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- drying alcohol
- solvent
-
4
VP/VA Copolymer
General function
A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingSynthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSome acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- film former
- polymer
-
5
Polyquaternium-11
General function
A styling and conditioning polymer that adds light hold and shine, common in mousses and setting sprays.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdCationic polymers hold a curl loosely and stay soft, which is why they turn up in definition products rather than firm-hold ones.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic polymer stays on the hair through rinsing, which is what keeps static and combing friction down after the wash.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
- film former
- polymer
- conditioning agent
-
6
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
General function
Wheat protein broken into fragments small enough to cling to the hair. It adds temporary strength and body; too much can feel stiff.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairFilling surface gaps evens out the cuticle, which is part of what makes damaged hair comb and reflect light more like undamaged hair.
May suitMaximum-hold stylingFilm formers are what hold a style: they dry into a connected film across the strands so the shape resists movement.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairHydrolysed fragments are small enough to sit in the gaps of a worn cuticle for a wash or two, temporarily restoring stiffness and cutting breakage in combing.
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
-
7
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey
General function
Honey given a positive charge so it deposits on hair, combining moisture with slip.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairThe class that does the detangling in a conditioner. It deposits lubrication where the cuticle is worn.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
- humectant
-
8
Peg-75 Lanolin
General function
An ethoxylated or propoxylated formulation aid. Ingredients of this family keep oils, silicones and fragrance evenly dispersed in a water-based product.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- emulsifier
-
9
Polysorbate 80
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
- ▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
-
10
Fragrance
· Fragrance (Parfum)
General function
An undisclosed blend of scent ingredients. Regulations let it stay unlisted, so a fragrance-free product is the only way to be certain what is not in it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
May not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesDeclared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
-
11
Eugenol
General function
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
-
12
Limonene
General function
A citrus-smelling fragrance component that EU rules require to be named separately because some people react to it.
Estimated lower-concentration zoneIt appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.
PubChemMay not suitFragrance-sensitive routinesOne of the 26 scent components the EU requires to be named individually above a threshold. It is named because it is a known contact allergen, not because it is unusual.
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
What the whole list adds up to
- 3 solvents
- 3 film formers
- 3 fragrances
- 2 drying alcohols
- 2 polymers
- 2 conditioning agents
- 2 emulsifiers
- 2 named fragrance allergens
- 1 protein
- 1 hydrolysed protein
- 1 humectant
- 1 solubilizer
- 1 declared fragrance
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 8.5 oz
Seen at
$36
Good value under
$25
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $25 line; products that do this job typically go for about $26 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store
How we work this out
- 8.5 oz is the size stores list most often; every comparison on this page is made at it. Other sizes are shown in the Sizes row and the store list.
- Seen at $36 is the price we have observed for the 8.5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $25 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.98/oz; at 8.5 oz that is $25. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $26 is what those same products typically cost at this size — the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 8.5 oz.
Formula
6
Formula score
6 of 10
Both the formula and the price land mid-range: it covers the core of what a volumizer does and costs about what volumizers cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 6 products we score as doing the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 52% of the 64 volumizers we’ve priced
- No softeners alongside the hold in the formula
- Reviewers mention 2 things they like about how it performs
- A hold systemThe polymer, gum, or wax that holds the shape.3 pts
- Softeners alongside the holdWhat keeps a film flexible instead of brittle.2 pts
- No drying alcohol in the first threeFast drying without leading on alcohol.2 pts
- A humectantBinds water into the hair.1 pt
- A humidity claim with a mechanismThe claim has a film former or silicone behind it.1 pt
- Fragrance kept out of the top eightScent as a finishing touch, not a major share.1 pt
The formula score is completeness for the job: the share of the systems this product type is normally built around that we can find in this list, weighted. It is not efficacy, not quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Same derived functions — what it cleans, conditions, coats or holds — at a lower cost per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy it can still differ.
Design EssentialsLowest cost per oz
Almond & Avocado Anti-Frizz Curl Defining Gel
$1.63/oz $2.61/oz less
- Protein
- Function
- Also
OuidadClose function
Curl Shaper Out of Thin (H)air Volumizing Jelly
$3.06/oz $1.18/oz less
- Protein
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These are functional neighbours, not personal recommendations — they are close on formula, not chosen for anyone. Get the one that fits your hair, routine, and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Soft, over-stretchy hair — for protein high in the formula and real detangling slip
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, hair that stiffens on protein, or very dry or high-damage hair
Best alternative if not
Wondercurl Curl Enhancing Hair Styler, for similar results at a lower price
We do not sell products or take placement fees. This page states what the formula and the prices show; the consultation is what matches it to a person.
Claims check
What the brand says, against what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We only mark one supported, partly supported, or conflicting when the ingredient list actually speaks to it; everything else stays "stated by the brand", which is not a criticism — most claims simply cannot be read off a label.
3
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Safe for color-treated, dry, and heat-damaged hair
It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.
- Polyquaternium-11
- Hydroxypropyltrimonium Honey
Supported
Less fade per wash.
Formulated without parabens, phthalates, mineral oil, and formaldehyde
No parabens appear in the ingredient list.
—
Supported
Preserved without parabens.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula — not marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Recurring themes our researchers wrote in their own words from sourced reviews. We do not store or scrape star ratings.
Works best used sparingly and applied before other styling products; gave hair volume and shine
reviewer macabeda (St. Louis), 5-star reviewBoosts volume in fine hair and makes styling easier
reviewer Lyn (Oregon), 5-star reviewHigh alcohol content dried out fine, color-treated hair and left an overpowering chemical odor that lingered on clothing
most-helpful negative review, 2-starLeft hair flat and staticky, felt like adding water rather than adding volume
reviewer Diana (Kansas), 1-star reviewAdds volume and lift without weighing hair down; a little goes a long way, but the scent is a downside
reviewer Bbradley (Bloomington, IN), 4-star reviewMore from Bumble and bumble
How this page was made
- Everything above is generated from our researched product record — identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated price observations, and review themes written in our researchers' own words. No part of this page is written per product.
- 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.
- Both scores out of ten are defined on this page. The formula score is completeness for the job, computed from a fixed per-format checklist shown beneath the gauge; the price score is cost per ounce against every product of this type we have priced.
- 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.
- 1 source consulted for this product (0 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-08-27.
- Ingredient references are linked for 3 of 8 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are conditional formulation guidance, not a conclusion about the finished product or about you.
- We have not tested this product in a lab and we do not physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list; behaviour claims are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are observations on the dates shown and change without notice.
- Ingredient names link to our ingredient library, where each entry shows what it does, which product types use it, and where it usually sits on a label across everything we have researched.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Formula readings: derivation v22. Record last updated 2026-08-27.