An acidic aqueous shampoo composition, which comprises: (I) a cleansing surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactant, zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant and nonionic surfactant; (II) an emulsified silicone, (III) an anti-settling, thickening polymer, wherein the anti-settling, thickening polymer, comprises: (a) 40 to 74.5 wt% of structural units of C 1-4 alkyl acrylate; (b) 20 to 50 wt% of structural units of methacrylic acid; (c) 0.3 to < 5 wt% of structural units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS); (d) 5 to 25 wt% of structural units of a specialized associated monomer having the following structure: wherein R 1 is a linear saturated C 10-24 alkyl group; wherein R 2 is a hydrogen or a methyl group (preferably, wherein R 2 is a methyl group); and wherein n is an average of 20 to 28; with the proviso that the structural units of the specialized associated monomer (d) are derived from one of (i) a single specialized associated monomer (preferably, a single specialized associated monomer wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear saturated C 12 alkyl group, a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 22 alkyl group; more preferably, a single specialized associated monomer wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear saturated C 12 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group); (ii) two specialized associated monomers, wherein R 1 is, respectively, a linear saturated C 12 and a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group; or (iii) two specialized associated monomers, wherein R 1 is, respectively, a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 22 alkyl group; and (e) 0 to 1 wt% of structural units of acrylic acid; wherein the sum of the weight percentages of structural units (a)-(e) is equal to 100 wt% of the anti-settling, thickening polymer. (I) a cleansing surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactant, zwitterionic or amphoteric surfactant and nonionic surfactant; (II) an emulsified silicone, (III) an anti-settling, thickening polymer, (a) 40 to 74.5 wt% of structural units of C 1-4 alkyl acrylate; (b) 20 to 50 wt% of structural units of methacrylic acid; (c) 0.3 to < 5 wt% of structural units of 2-acrylamido-2-methylpropane sulfonic acid (AMPS); (d) 5 to 25 wt% of structural units of a specialized associated monomer having the following structure: wherein R 1 is a linear saturated C 10-24 alkyl group; wherein R 2 is a hydrogen or a methyl group (preferably, wherein R 2 is a methyl group); and wherein n is an average of 20 to 28; with the proviso that the structural units of the specialized associated monomer (d) are derived from one of (i) a single specialized associated monomer (preferably, a single specialized associated monomer wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear saturated C 12 alkyl group, a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 22 alkyl group; more preferably, a single specialized associated monomer wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a linear saturated C 12 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group); (ii) two specialized associated monomers, wherein R 1 is, respectively, a linear saturated C 12 and a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group; or (iii) two specialized associated monomers, wherein R 1 is, respectively, a linear saturated C 18 alkyl group and a linear saturated C 22 alkyl group; and (e) 0 to 1 wt% of structural units of acrylic acid; <EOS>