Clinically proven to define curl patterns
A brand-run study. We report it as stated and do not repeat the number as fact.
—
Stated by brand
Only the brand’s testing shows this.
Eva Nyc
Gotta Bounce Curl Defining Cream
Styler / Curl cream, polymer-free
- Styler
- curl cream
- cream
- Sulfate-free
- Protein-free
Size5.4 fl oz
Price$15–16commonly seen · 5.4 oz
Price / oz$2.96/ozat 5.4 oz
Where to buy4 stores · $13.99–16.00
Add it to your products. We’ll tell you if it’s ever recalled.
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?
Complete the consultation to see how well this product fits your hair and your goals. With 6,000+ products in our library, we can match you to the right ones.
- About 20 minutes, and your answers save as you go.
- Every product matched against your hair across the 22 factors we check.
- A personalized routine built around your schedule, styling habits, and local weather.
- Find products that do the same job at a lower cost.
- Your goals, scalp, damage history, water, budget, and scent preferences all shape your plan.
$49 with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates
$99 with 12 months. Pay once; the year renews only if you choose.
Factor
Your profile
Fit
Best for hair types
Wavy–Coily
Not in your profile
Moisture level
Moderate
Not in your profile
Hold system
None
Not in your profile
Slip / detangling
Moderate
Not in your profile
Weight on hair
Rich
Not in your profile
Fragrance
Present
Not in your profile
Protein
None
Not in your profile
Silicone / wax buildup
High
Not in your profile
Clarifying wash needed
Moderate
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
None
Not in your profile
Vegan / cruelty-free
Not yet verified
Not in your profile
Animal-derived ingredients
Not yet verified
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
18 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Masstige
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
UltaOne channel
Not in your profile
The consultation builds your hair profile, checks every factor in this table against it, and tells you where this product fits or what to use instead.
Start your consultation$49 once, with 60 days of follow-up questions and plan updates. Nothing renews, and you never have to buy a product.
Your avoid-list
Priced with its peers
$2.96/oz at 5.4 oz, less than 51% of the 228 curl creams , which mostly run $1.35–5.22/oz. The cost less.
Great for
Protein-sensitive hairthat stiffens when protein is added
Curl definitionfilm formers hold a clump together
Coarse or dry hairthat absorbs everything you give it
Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list
Aerosol avoidancea pump or tube, not a pressurised can
Maybe skip if
this product has a scent
Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove
Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down
Styles that must holdno hold polymer, gum, or wax was found
Picking it up locallywe’ve only seen it sold in one channel
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
None found
No hold polymer, gum, or wax found in the list.
Cast risk
Unlikely
Softening ingredients sit alongside the film formers, so a hard shell is unlikely.
Weight on the hair
Rich
Heavy butters and waxes in the first eight ingredients.
Oil absorption
None
No absorbent powders or starches.
Oils and butters
Present, high in the list
Oils sit high in the list: a softening, coating formula.
Fast-drying alcohol
None
No fast-drying alcohol in the list.
Needs detergent to remove
Yes
Water-insoluble silicones or waxes: a detergent wash is what removes them.
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. The 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil | oil | Softens the film so it does not set hard | Softens |
| Cetyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Stearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Dimethicone | silicone | Smooths the cuticle and adds shine | Buildup |
| Palmitic Acid | emollient | Softens and smooths the strand | Softens |
| Stearic Acid | emulsifier | Keeps oil and water mixed | Softens |
| Cetearyl Alcohol | fatty alcohol | Thickens and conditions (not a drying alcohol) | Softens |
| Fragrance | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or drying alcohols. No protein: a moisture formula, not a repair one. Fragrance is on the label. Heavier butters sit in the working part of the list.
Full ingredient list (18)
In the US, ingredients above 1% are listed from most to least. Below 1% they can appear in any order. Each note keeps three things apart: what the ingredient generally does, its role in this type of product, and what its position can tell you.
-
1
Water
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
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
General function
A medium-weight oil used for softness and slip.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairCoats the surface and slows water leaving the strand, which is usually what coarse hair that dries out fast is missing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairA thin oil layer lowers friction between strands and flattens the raised cuticle that scatters light and catches on its neighbours.
May not suitFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a list an oil is weight before it is anything else, and fine hair shows that first at the roots.
- oil
- emollient
-
3
Cetyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol used to thicken creams and add slip. It softens rather than dries.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
4
Stearyl Alcohol
General function
A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
5
Dimethicone
General function
The most common conditioning silicone. It coats the strand for shine, slip, and frizz control, and needs a detergent (not just water) to wash out.
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 surface film slows how quickly humidity reaches the cortex, which is what limits swelling-driven frizz in damp air.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairLays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.
May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routinesDimethicone does not disperse in water. On a routine that skips detergent it stays on the hair and accumulates wash after wash.
- silicone
- emollient
- conditioning agent
-
6
Palmitic Acid
General function
A saturated fatty acid used to thicken creams and give them body.
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 hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emollient
- thickener
-
7
Stearic Acid
General function
A fatty acid that thickens creams and helps them hold their texture.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- emulsifier
- thickener
- fatty alcohol
-
8
Cetearyl Alcohol
General function
A waxy fatty alcohol - nothing like drying alcohol. It gives conditioners their body and leaves a soft, smoothing film on the hair.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairThe waxy solid that gives a conditioner its body. It deposits a soft lubricating layer, which is most of what makes hair feel smooth after rinsing.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.
DependsFine or easily flattened hairNear the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
-
9
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
General function
Aloe gel, used for light moisture and slip. High in the list it also contributes a little natural hold.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
May suitCurls or waves needing flexible holdGums thicken and set soft, which gives definition that bends rather than a rigid cast.
May suitFine or easily flattened hairHydration with no oil attached, so it adds very little weight even high on a list.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairAloe is mostly water carrying sugars that bind more of it, which is why it turns up as the base of moisture-first formulas.
- humectant
- botanical extract
- gum
-
10
Cereus Grandiflorus (Cactus) Flower Extract
- botanical extract
-
11
Cetrimonium Chloride
General function
A quick-acting conditioning agent that reduces static and combing force. It also helps keep the formula stable.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
International Journal of Cosmetic ScienceMay suitFine or easily flattened hairThe C16 quat binds mostly by charge rather than by chain, so it deposits measurably less than the C22 ones. Less deposit is less conditioning and also less weight, which is usually the trade fine hair wants.
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.
DependsBuild-up-sensitive routinesSubstantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
- conditioning agent
- cleanser
-
12
Glycerin
General function
Glycerin, also called glycerol, attracts moisture and mixes completely with water.
Secondary ingredientLower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.
Scientific ReportsMay suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hairHigh-porosity hair loses water fast; a humectant holds some of it in place for longer than the wash itself would.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairBinds water into the outer layers of the strand, and water is what makes dry hair flexible again rather than brittle.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairWater moves both ways. Measured across concentrations, glycerin solutions give water up in some conditions and take it from the air in others. What it does for you depends on how much of it is there and on the air around it.
- humectant
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
13
Ethylhexylglycerin
General function
A preservative booster that also adds a little softness. Almost always paired with phenoxyethanol.
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 suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairEmollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- preservative
- emollient
-
14
Steareth-2
- emulsifier
-
15
Steareth-21
- emulsifier
-
16
Aminomethyl Propanol
General function
A base used in trace amounts to neutralise acidic hold polymers so they thicken and set properly.
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.
PubChemDependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairpH adjusters are how a formula is brought to a chosen acidity, and an acidic formula keeps the cuticle lying flatter than an alkaline one. Which way this one moves the pH depends on the formula, and the finished pH is not on the label.
- pH adjuster
-
17
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
18
Fragrance
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
What the whole list adds up to
- 7 emollients
- 5 thickeners
- 4 fatty alcohols
- 3 emulsifiers
- 2 humectants
- 2 botanical extracts
- 2 preservatives
- 1 solvent
- 1 oil
- 1 silicone
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 gum
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 cleanser
Ingredient list captured 2026-10-01. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 5.4 oz
Commonly seen
$15–16
Good value under
$10
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $10 line; products that do this job typically go for about $34 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it5 listings · 4 stores
5.4 ozusual store sizeBest per ounce
-
Target
$13.995.4 oz · $2.59/ozAug 30Lowest per oz
-
Ulta Beauty
$16.005.4 oz · $2.96/ozAug 30
-
Eva NYC
$16.005.4 oz · $2.96/ozAug 30
-
Ulta
$16.005.4 oz · $2.96/ozAug 27
-
Ulta
$16.00Aug 25
Sorted by price per ounce. Dated observations from our research, not live prices. Direct store pages, no affiliate links. We don’t sell this product.
How we work this out
- 5.4 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.
- Commonly seen is the middle half of current prices for the 5.4 oz at recognised stores. We leave out the cheapest and most expensive quarters, so one sale or one overpriced listing can’t move it.
- Good value under $10 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $1.88/oz; at 5.4 oz that is $10. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $34 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5.4 oz.
Formula
7
Formula score
7 of 10
Nothing separates this from the middle of the range for curl creams, on formula or on cost per ounce.
How the score is counted
- 3 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs less per ounce than 51% of the 228 curl creams we’ve priced
- No hold system in the formula
- Masstige tier, sold at Ulta
- 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 measures completeness for the job: a weighted share of the systems this product type is usually built around that we find in this list. It does not rate how well the product works or its quality, and it never compares across product types.
Does the same job, for less
Formulas that do the same things (cleanse, condition, coat or hold) for less per ounce. Scent, texture and where you buy them can still differ.
Mixed ChicksSilicone-free
Hair Four Days Calming Cream
$2.00/oz $0.96/oz less
- Protein-free
- Curly method
- Rich
- Function
- Also
The DouxLowest cost per oz
C.R.E.A.M. Twist & Curl Cream™
$1.42/oz $1.54/oz less
- Alcohol-free
- No aerosol
- Medium weight
- Function
- Also
TGINLighter feel
Rose Water Curl Refresher
$1.50/oz $1.46/oz less
- Protein-free
- Lightweight
- Alcohol-free
- Function
- Also
See more alternatives in the product library
These products do a similar job. We haven’t matched them to you. Find the one that fits your hair, routine and budget
Final decision
Should you buy it?
Good for the right personBest user
Hair that stiffens on protein, looking for a protein-free formula and defined, clumped curls
Biggest tradeoff
Not ideal for anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair
Best alternative if not
Consider Mixed Chicks Hair Four Days Calming Cream, 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, and what the formula shows
Claims are quoted from the brand. We mark a claim supported, partly supported or conflicting only when the ingredient list speaks to it. Everything else stays "stated by the brand". That isn’t a criticism: most claims can’t be checked from a label.
2
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
1
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
sculpting definition and smoothing hydration
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
- Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Stearyl Alcohol
Supported
Helps hair feel hydrated.
curls remain nourished, bouncy, and touchable
Humectants or rich emollients sit in the first eight ingredients.
- Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil
- Cetyl Alcohol
- Stearyl Alcohol
Supported
Helps hair feel hydrated.
How to read this
We look at the first 10–15 ingredients and what they do in a formula, not at the marketing. If the list doesn't speak to a claim, we don't assume.
Reviewers
What people report
Themes that come up again and again in sourced reviews, written by our researchers in their own words. We don’t store or scrape star ratings.
Some longtime customers express frustration that this replaced the discontinued 'Rock a Wave' formula and don't feel it performs as well
repeat Eva NYC customer on UltaCurl definition results are inconsistent — some reviewers get pronounced, defined curls while others find it leaves hair flat
Ulta reviewers with varying curl typesCurl definition quality is praised overall but reviewers note it depends heavily on individual hair type and amount used
Ulta reviewerFormula smells pleasant and feels thick going on, but some reviewers noticed stickiness by the end of the day
Ulta reviewerMore from Eva Nyc
How this page was made
- Everything above comes from our researched product record: identity, the ingredient list as printed, the brand's own claims, dated prices and review themes our researchers wrote in their own words. No part of this page is written by hand for one 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.
- 2 sources consulted for this product (1 manufacturer or regulatory, 1 retailer, 0 editorial), last checked 2026-10-01.
- Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 13 product-aware annotations on this page. Fit notes are general formulation guidance. They aren’t a verdict on the finished product or on you.
- We haven’t tested this product in a lab, and we don’t physically test your hair. Formula readings come from the ingredient list. Claims about how it behaves are labelled as the brand's.
- Ingredient order tells you relative amount only above roughly 1%. Prices are what we saw on the dates shown and can change.
- 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 v23. Record last updated 2026-09-02.
