Provided are: a copolymer for rheological or cosmetic compositions and a composition thereof, and methods of making and using the same. Said copolymer comprises a) a first acrylic ester as monomer A, said monomer A being a branched acrylic ester; b) at least one further acrylic ester as monomer B, said monomer B being a linear acrylic ester; c) a cyclic N-vinyl amide as monomer C; d) at least one compound comprising a radically polymerizable α.&bgr;-ethylenically un-saturated double bond and at least one cationic and/or cationogenic moiety said compound being monomer D; e) at least one monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid as monomer E; with the monomer B in its polymerized form having a glass transition temperature of 24° C. or lower and making at most one third of the weight amount of monomer A.