Pureology

Style + Protect Mess It Up Texture Paste

Styler / Paste, medium-hold

Styler
paste
Sulfate-free
Protein-free
Cruelty-free · PETA-listed

Size3.4 fl oz

Price$34seen at one store · 3.4 oz

Price / oz$10.00/ozat 3.4 oz

Where to buy1 store · $34.00–36.00

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?

Factor Your profile Fit

Best for hair types Curly–Coily Not in your profile

Moisture level Low Not in your profile

Hold (as stated) Medium Not in your profile

Slip / detangling Some 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 Cruelty-free · PETA-listed 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 High Not in your profile

UV filter Present Not in your profile

Ingredient list 36 ingredientsA long list Not in your profile

Price tier Salon Not in your profile

Where to buy it UltaOne channel 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.

Start your consultation

$49.00 once, for your consultation and hair profile. No subscription, no required purchases.

Upper-mid price for a paste

$10.00/oz at 3.4 oz — more than 74% of the 90 pastes , which mostly run $5.59–10.34/oz. The cost less.

Price and stores

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

Soft-hold stylesthat should stay touchable

Very dry hairno fast-drying alcohol in the list

Sun and colour fadea UV filter is in the list

Maybe skip if

this product carries a scent

Curly-method routinesthese silicones need a detergent to remove

Oily scalp or fine hairthat gets weighed down

Tight budgetsit sits in the upper price tiers

Picking it up locallywe have it recorded in one channel only

Whether this hold level is right for you depends on your density, porosity, and how long your style has to last — that is what the consultation works out.

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 (as stated) Medium

A medium hold, as stated by the brand.

Hold system Synthetic polymer

Synthetic hold polymers — the firmest of the hold systems.

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, lower down

Oils are present, but low enough to be a finishing touch.

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. 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
WaterAqua/Water/Eau	solvent	The base everything else is dissolved in	Neutral
Stearyl Alcohol	fatty alcohol	Thickens and conditions — not a drying alcohol	Softens
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil	solubilizer	Keeps oils dissolved in water	Stabilizes
Tribehenin	wax	Holds shape and adds weight	Buildup
PVP	film former	Lays down the film that holds a shape	Holds
Petrolatum	sealant	Seals moisture in	Heavy
Dimethicone	silicone	Smooths the cuticle and adds shine	Buildup
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters	light ester	Light slip without much weight	Buildup
PEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone	emulsifier	Stabilises the mix	Buildup
FragranceParfum/Fragrance	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Benzyl Salicylate	fragrance	The scent	Fragrance
Linalool	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 (36)

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 · Aqua/Water/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 ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
2 Stearyl Alcohol

General function
A fatty alcohol that thickens conditioners and helps them coat the hair evenly.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
The 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 hair
Deposits with the cationic conditioners and helps them lie flat along the strand, which is where the detangling actually comes from.

DependsFine or easily flattened hair
Near the top of a conditioner it is doing most of the conditioning, and most of the weighting, at the same time.

PubChem
- fatty alcohol
- emollient
- thickener
3 PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil

General function
A castor-oil derivative that dissolves fragrance and oils into water so the product stays clear and does not separate.

Leading ingredient
Listed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solubilizer
- emulsifier
4 Tribehenin

General function
A plant-derived wax used to thicken balms and give a firm, smooth feel.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
A wax holds by staying solid on the strand, which gives grip and separation rather than a set film that cracks.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Waxes do not dissolve in water. They need a detergent wash to come off, and they are the classic cause of a coated feel.

PubChem
- wax
- emollient
5 PVP

General function
A classic hairspray polymer. It gives firm hold but attracts moisture, so humidity can soften the set.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.

May not suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
The film takes up water from the air. The patent work that produced the VP/VA copolymers describes a PVP film turning sticky after time in a humid atmosphere, and being dependable only where humidity is low — so hold and feel both move with the weather.

PubChem
- film former
- polymer
6 Petrolatum

General function
A heavy sealing agent that locks moisture in and takes detergent to remove.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Forms a physical barrier on the strand that slows water leaving it. Nothing else in a formula holds moisture in as bluntly.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
It does not disperse in water at all: removing it means a detergent wash, and until then it stays exactly where it landed.
- sealant
- emollient
7 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 ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.

May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A 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 hair
Lays a smooth film along the cuticle, which lowers combing friction and flattens the surface irregularities that read as frizz.

May not suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Dimethicone 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
8 Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters

General function
A waxy olive-derived ester that thickens and leaves a soft, sealing finish.

Supporting ingredient
Listed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- light ester
- emollient
- wax
9 VP/VA Copolymer

General function
A hold polymer that dries to a clear film. It sets the style and washes out with water.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- film former
- polymer
10 Polyacrylamide

General function
A thickening polymer that also leaves a light film, used in gels and styling creams.

Secondary ingredient
Lower in the ordered portion of the list, it is more likely playing a supporting role than defining the formula.

May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A set polymer film is a physical barrier to humidity, so a style keeps its shape longer in damp conditions.

May suitMaximum-hold styling
Synthetic film formers dry into a continuous film, which is what holds a shape against movement and against humid air.

DependsBuild-up-sensitive routines
Some acrylate copolymers rinse with water and some need a detergent; the label alone does not say which one a formula used.
- film former
- polymer
- thickener
11 Oleth-10 Phosphate
- emulsifier
▾Below about this point, order stops being meaningful — these are typically used at 1% or less.
12 Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
13 C13-14 Isoparaffin

General function
A light carrier used to spread silicones and polymers thinly.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.
- emollient
- solvent
14 PEG/PPG-17/18 Dimethicone

General function
A water-soluble silicone that smooths and helps other silicones spread, without the build-up concern.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
The PEG- and PPG-modified silicones disperse in water, so ordinary washing carries them off instead of leaving a film to accumulate.

May suitClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A 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 hair
Delivers the slip and surface smoothing of a silicone without needing a detergent wash to remove it afterwards.
- emulsifier
- silicone
- water-soluble silicone
15 Fragrance · Parfum/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 zone
It 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 routines
Declared fragrance. On a fragrance-sensitive routine this is the line that decides it, wherever it sits on the label.
- fragrance
- declared fragrance
16 Caprylyl Glycol

General function
A gentle preservative helper that also holds a little moisture.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
Humectants bind water into the strand, and water — not oil — is what makes dry hair flexible instead of brittle.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- preservative
- humectant
17 Potassium Hydroxide

General function
A strong base used in trace amounts to set pH; it is fully neutralised in the finished product.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

DependsFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
pH 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.

PubChem
- pH adjuster
18 Sorbic Acid
- preservative
19 Laureth-7
- emulsifier
- solubilizer
20 Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
21 Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

General function
A readily biodegradable chelator used in place of EDTA to bind hard-water minerals.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Binds the calcium and magnesium in hard water, which is what stops mineral deposits accumulating on the strand wash after wash.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Copper and iron carried in tap water deposit on the strand and read as a dull, warm cast on gray or light hair. A chelator holds those metals in solution so the wash carries them off.

PubChem
- hard-water chelator
22 Butylene Glycol

General function
A light humectant and carrier that helps extracts dissolve.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitFine or easily flattened hair
Light and water-binding rather than oily, so it hydrates without contributing weight.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.

DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hair
A humectant follows the air: it holds water in humid conditions and can give it up in very dry ones. Climate decides what it does more than the label does.

PubChem
- humectant
- solvent
23 Benzyl Alcohol
- preservative
- solvent
24 Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract/Sunflower Seed Extract
- botanical extract
25 Benzyl Salicylate

General function
A soft floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
26 Linalool

General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
27 Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter

General function
The solid fat from Butyrospermum Parkii. Plant butters seal the surface and soften coarse or dry hair; high on a list they make a product decidedly rich.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitDry, coarse, or high-porosity hair
Coarse, porous hair loses water quickly and can carry the weight; a butter slows that loss more than a thin oil does.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
Emollients fill and smooth the surface of the strand, which lowers the friction that lifts the cuticle and reads as roughness.

May suitVery dry or highly damaged hair
A solid fat melts onto the strand at body temperature and stays there, which is the heaviest surface moisture-holding a formula can offer.
- butter
- emollient
- sealant
28 Benzophenone-4

General function
A UV filter added to keep the product itself, and dyed hair, from fading in light.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Sunlight oxidises hair pigment, and on gray, silver or lightened hair that shows up as yellowing. A UV filter on the label absorbs some of the light that drives it.

PubChem
- UV filter
29 Coumarin

General function
A sweet, hay-like fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
30 Citronellol

General function
A rose-like fragrance component named separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
31 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 zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
32 Eugenol

General function
A clove-scented fragrance component listed separately as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
33 Benzyl Benzoate

General function
A fragrance component with a faint balsamic scent, named separately on the label because it is a recognised contact allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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.

PubChem
- fragrance
- named fragrance allergen
34 Anise Alcohol

General function
A sweet, anise-like fragrance component named as a recognised allergen.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It 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 routines
One 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
35 BHT
- antioxidant
36 Citric Acid

General function
Used to bring the product to a slightly acidic pH, which helps the cuticle lie flat. It is almost always near the end of the list.

Estimated lower-concentration zone
It appears around or below the estimated 1% line, where label order no longer indicates relative amount; its role may be minor or technical.

May suitBuild-up-sensitive routines
Holds hard-water minerals in solution so they rinse away instead of depositing on the hair.

May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hair
The acid side of pH adjustment, and the reason it matters is measured: alkaline formulas raise the fibre's surface negative charge, increase friction between strands and lift the scales, while lower-pH ones do the reverse.

May suitGray, silver, or brass-prone hair
Where a warm cast comes from water minerals rather than from the hair itself, holding those metals in solution is what removes it.

International Journal of Trichology
- pH adjuster
- hard-water chelator

What the whole list adds up to

9 fragrances
8 named fragrance allergens
7 emollients
4 solvents
4 emulsifiers
4 preservatives
3 film formers
3 polymers
2 thickeners
2 solubilizers
2 waxs
2 sealants
2 silicones
2 humectants

Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change — check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.

Price · 3.4 oz

Seen at $34 1 store · checked Aug 27

Good value under $21 Under $6.25/oz it costs less than three-quarters of the 7 products we score as doing the same job

Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $21 line; products that do this job typically go for about $26 at this size.

Show the price ladder

Price for 3.4 ozlower is better

Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store

3.4 ozmost listedBest per ounce

Ulta
$34.00

3.4 oz · $10.00/oz

Aug 27Lowest per oz

Ulta
$36.00

Aug 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

3.4 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.
Seen at $34 is the price we have observed for the 3.4 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
Good value under $21 comes from the 7 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $6.25/oz; at 3.4 oz that is $21. 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 3.4 oz.

Formula

Formula score

10 of 10

A complete read of the format at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among pastes, with the working systems present.

How the score is counted

2 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
Costs more per ounce than 74% of the 90 pastes we’ve priced
Covers 6 of the 6 things a paste should do
Reviewers mention 3 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.

RedkenFragrance-free Brews Cream Pomade $7.06/oz $2.94/oz less

Fragrance-free
Protein-free
Rich

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Oils and butters
Also: Fresh scent
Masstige tier

Compare

Bed HeadLowest cost per oz Foxy Curls Contour Curl Cream for Increased Definition $3.11/oz $6.89/oz less

Protein-free
Humidity
Alcohol-free

· Close function

Function: Water-binding (humectants)
Weight on the hair
Also: Masstige tier
6.8 oz bottle

Compare

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 suits

Best user

Hair that stiffens on protein — for a protein-free formula and defined, clumped curls

Biggest tradeoff

Less suited to anyone sensitive to fragrance, curly-method routines, or oily scalps and fine hair

Best alternative if not

Redken Brews Cream Pomade, 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.

SupportedBacked by ingredients

Partly supportedSome supporting logic

Stated by brandNo clear evidence

Potential conflictFormula works against claim

Medium hold & flexible control

Synthetic hold polymers are present.

Tribehenin
PVP
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters

Supported

Structure that lasts the day.

Soft texture & shine

The formula carries a recognised shine system — silicone, oil, or light ester.

Petrolatum
Dimethicone
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters

Supported

Reflects light for visible shine.

Soft matte finish

Nothing absorbent sits high enough to read as a matte system.

—

Stated by brand

Can’t be confirmed from label.

Extraordinary color protection

It avoids sulfate detergents, which are the usual cause of fast fade.

Tocopherol

Supported

Less fade per wash.

100% vegan formula

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.

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.

Locks in the style with a lot of movement and doesn't weigh hair down, looks natural not stiff

reviewer with straight hair

Gives control, texture, and a tousled natural look on fine/thick short hair with no greasiness

reviewer with fine, thick, short hair

Helps manage frizz well in humid Florida summer conditions

general reviewer

Left hair feeling gooey, requiring a rewash within a day

general reviewer

Too heavy for curls, weighs them down and leaves parts straight, and dries hair out overly

reviewer with 3c low-porosity curly hair

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 16 of 25 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.

Style + Protect Mess It Up Texture Paste

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