To provide a thickening composition which exhibits excellent feelings in use, namely, exhibits excellent freshness, non-stickiness and blend into skin feeling, and does not leave any residue on skin, which can stably keep the viscosity thereof in a low to moderate-level viscosity range and which, even when a salt-type ingredient is incorporated therein, does not undergo viscosity change, and also a cosmetic preparation containing the composition. A thickening composition which comprises (a) from 0.1 to 2% by mass of a specific hydrophobic denatured polyether urethane (associative thickener) and (b) from 0.1 to 2% by mass of a microgel to be obtained by grinding a gel of a hydrophilic compound having a gelling capability, in a ratio of component (a)/component (b) of from 0.1/0.9 to 0.9 to 0.1 (by mass), and which has a viscosity of from 50 to 50,000 mPa·s (with BL-type viscometer, 12 rotations, 25° C.)； and a cosmetic preparation containing the thickening composition.
