Lightweight, buildable hold with no stickiness or buildup
Light silicones and low wax content help it avoid visible residue.
- Alcohol Denat.
- Water
- Propylene Glycol
Supported
Less likely to weigh hair down.
Virtue
Style-Setting Volumizing Primer
Styler / Volumizer, light-hold
- Styler
- volumizer
- spray
- Sulfate-free
- Silicone-free
- Curly-method
Size5 fl oz
Price$42seen at one store · 5 oz
Price / oz$8.40/ozat 5 oz
Where to buy1 store · $42.00–42.00
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 23 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
Straight–Wavy
Not in your profile
Moisture level
High
Not in your profile
Hold (as stated)
Light
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 23 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
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
Humidity resistance
High
Not in your profile
Heavy humectants
Heavy
Not in your profile
Hard-water defence
None
Not in your profile
UV filter
None listed
Not in your profile
Ingredient list
17 ingredientsAbout average
Not in your profile
Price tier
Salon
Not in your profile
Where to buy it
Brand website · Ulta
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
Upper-mid price for a volumizer
$8.40/oz at 5 oz, more than 70% of the 143 volumizers , which mostly run $3.31–9.38/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 has 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
Styles that must holdthe brand states a light hold at most
Dry or very humid airwhere heavy humectants work against you
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)
Light
A light hold, as stated by the brand.
Hold system
Synthetic polymer
Synthetic hold polymers, the firmest kind of hold.
Cast risk
Likely
Film formers with little to soften them, so expect a cast to scrunch out.
Weight on the hair
Light
Water-first and light: unlikely to flatten fine hair.
Humidity resistance
Claimed
The brand claims humidity resistance; the ingredient list cannot confirm it.
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. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcohol Denat. | drying alcohol | Sets the style fast, which is also why it can feel dry | Drying |
| WaterAqua (Water, Eau) | solvent | The base everything else is dissolved in | Neutral |
| Propylene Glycol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Moisturizes |
| Polyurethane-1 | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Holds |
| Keratin | protein | Firms up soft, over-stretchy hair | Protein |
| Panthenol | humectant | Pulls water into the hair | Detangles |
| Hydrolyzed Soy Protein | film former | Lays down the film that holds a shape | Protein |
| Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein | conditioning agent | Conditions and softens so hair combs through | Protein |
| FragranceParfum (Fragrance) | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Citral | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Hexyl Cinnamal | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
| Limonene | fragrance | The scent | Fragrance |
What the list leaves out, and what it carriesThe list carries no sulfates or silicones. Protein sits high: this is a strengthening step rather than a moisture one. Fragrance is on the label. Contains fast-drying alcohol.
Full ingredient list (17)
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
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
-
2
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 ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
- solvent
-
3
Propylene Glycol
General function
A small humectant and solvent that keeps formulas stable and helps active ingredients spread.
Leading ingredientListed in the first three ingredients, it is likely a structural part of this formula.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairLight and water-binding rather than oily, so it adds less weight than oils or butters do.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA small water-binding solvent. It holds moisture and helps the rest of the formula spread evenly over the strand.
DependsClimate-sensitive or frizz-prone hairA 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.
- humectant
- solvent
-
4
Polyurethane-1
General function
A flexible hold polymer. Polyurethanes bend rather than crack, which is what lets a style hold without a stiff feel.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
- film former
- polymer
-
5
Keratin
General function
The protein hair is made of. On the outside of the strand it fills gaps and firms up the feel for a few washes.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
May not suitProtein-sensitive hairA large surface-depositing protein. If protein reliably makes your hair feel rigid, this is the form most likely to do it.
DependsVery dry or highly damaged hairUnhydrolysed protein is too large to enter the strand. It sits on the surface, which is a coating effect rather than internal reinforcement.
- protein
-
6
Panthenol
General function
Provitamin B5. It draws in water and penetrates the strand a little, which is why it is the standard ingredient for softness and shine claims.
Supporting ingredientListed in positions 4–8, it likely makes a meaningful contribution alongside the formula's main ingredients.
PubChemMay suitFine or easily flattened hairIt hydrates without adding oil or a film, which is the combination fine hair usually needs.
May suitFrizz-prone, damaged, or high-friction hairDeposits a lubricating layer that makes combing easier, which is most of what stops mechanical damage adding to frizz.
May suitVery dry or highly damaged hairA humectant that also penetrates the cuticle, so it holds water inside the strand rather than only on the surface.
- humectant
- conditioning agent
- vitamin
-
7
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
General function
A plant protein used for body and moisture retention.
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
-
8
Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
General function
A protein given a positive charge so it deposits where hair is damaged. It conditions and adds temporary firmness in one ingredient.
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 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.
- conditioning agent
- film former
- protein
- hydrolysed protein
- ▾Below about here, the order stops meaning much. These are usually used at 1% or less.
-
9
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
-
10
Tocopherol
- antioxidant
- vitamin
-
11
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 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
-
12
Phenoxyethanol
- preservative
-
13
Potassium Sorbate
- preservative
-
14
Citral
General function
A lemon-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
-
15
Hexyl Cinnamal
General function
A jasmine-like fragrance component named 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
-
16
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
-
17
Linalool
General function
A floral fragrance component listed separately as a recognised contact 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
What the whole list adds up to
- 5 fragrances
- 4 named fragrance allergens
- 3 solvents
- 3 film formers
- 3 proteins
- 3 preservatives
- 2 humectants
- 2 vitamins
- 2 hydrolysed proteins
- 1 drying alcohol
- 1 polymer
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 conditioning agent
- 1 emollient
Ingredient list captured 2026-08-27. Formulas change, so check the package in your hand when an ingredient matters to you.
Price · 5 oz
Seen at
$42
Good value under
$13
Priced above the products that do the same job. Stores sell it above the $13 line; products that do this job typically go for about $18 at this size.
Show the price ladder
Where we’ve seen it2 listings · 1 store
How we work this out
- 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 $42 is the price we have observed for the 5 oz. We need three stores before we call a price commonly seen.
- Good value under $13 comes from the 8 products we score as doing the same job as this one. A quarter of them cost less than $2.62/oz; at 5 oz that is $13. Under that line you are paying less than most of them.
- About $18 is what those same products typically cost at this size: the midpoint of their prices per ounce, scaled to 5 oz.
Formula
8
Formula score
8 of 10
A complete formula at an ordinary price: mid-range per ounce among volumizers, with the working systems in place.
How the score is counted
- 6 products that do the same job cost less per ounce
- Costs more per ounce than 70% of the 143 volumizers we’ve priced
- Covers 5 of the 6 things a volumizer should do
- 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 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.
Keratin ComplexLowest cost per oz
Volumizing Foam
$1.50/oz $6.90/oz less
- Protein
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- Function
- Also
Bumble and bumbleClose function
Thickening Blow-Dry Prep Spray - 8.5 oz
$4.24/oz $4.16/oz less
- Protein
- Curly method
- Lightweight
- 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?
A solid pick for the hair it suitsBest user
Soft, over-stretchy hair, looking 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
Consider Keratin Complex Volumizing Foam, 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.
3
SupportedBacked by ingredients
0
Partly supportedSome supporting logic
0
Stated by brandNo clear evidence
0
Potential conflictFormula works against claim
Adds instant volume
It reads light on the strand, which is what volume claims depend on.
- Polyurethane-1
- Keratin
- Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Supported
Leaves room for lift.
Protects hair from heat and humidity
Silicones or film formers smooth the cuticle, which is the usual mechanism.
- Polyurethane-1
- Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
- Amp-Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Supported
Smoother strands, less frizz.
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.
Hair looked and felt healthier than it had in years after continued use
Ulta reviewer, longer-term useBlow-dried hair holds soft, weightless volume that lasts into the next day
Ulta reviewer using it as a daily volumizing stepProduct did nothing noticeable and any volume faded within about 10 minutes
Ulta reviewer dissatisfied with resultsSpray has a noticeable alcohol smell right after application
Ulta reviewer noting the scentLight application gave only modest volume; using more product still didn't add much
Ulta reviewer comparing light vs heavier applicationMore from Virtue
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 2026-08-27.
- Ingredient references are linked for 8 of 12 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 2026-08-27.
