Game Day Men's Sandalwood Shave Cream - A Closer Look

Game Day is a father and son brand launched in 2013 by Demetri Demascus and his father, Dr. Kerry Demascus, who wanted to offer high-end skincare products designed for the fashion-forward, skin conscious, active-lifestyle man. 

Game Day Men's Complete Set

The Game Day Men’s Skin Care line initially launched with a pre-shave, aftershave balm, moisturizer, shower gel, charging spray, and a number of kits.  But has since added other products such as a Game Day branded Dopp Bag and sandalwood scented Shave Cream.  

Upon asking Demetri Demascus, president and co-founder and of Game Day, why the shaving cream wasn’t released on day one he noted: 

“It took a while to come up with the Shave Cream formula because we really wanted to put out a quality product. We started Game Day because we were tired of poor quality and poor ingredient blends that make up the majority of the men's shaving and skincare market. We won't roll out a product if we do not think that it is the best on the market. There is so much out there that you really have to be careful about what ingredients are going into the products you use. We wanted to use a Sandalwood base for its masculine and anti-aging properties. After testing tons of formulations, we finally found one that most men we tested with loved. It provided a great, protective yet hydrating barrier between the blade and the skin. The shave is just so much more comfortable that you really must try. The razor just slides over the skin yet leaves a much closer shave.”

Recently I tried the Game Day Men’s Shave Cream – and tried it out on both my head and face.

When opening the glossy black jar, there is a clear-ish plastic cap/seal to protect the shave cream … which I didn’t discard.  As I understand, this seal helps to keep it from drying out, so I’ve been putting it back on after use.  

Plastic cap/seal

Scent-wise, the Game Day Shaving Cream smells what I can only describe as a smooth, fresh, and sweet sandalwood – different than say Taylor Of Old Bond Street Sandalwood Shave Cream in a Bowl (which I find to be a “spicy” sandalwood scent)  or Proraso sandalwood (which I would describe as a “sweet-spicy” scent but have seen it described it as “earthy” and even “woodsy”).   Overall, I found the Game Day Men's sandalwood to be a pleasant and fresh aroma that wasn’t too overpowering.

On this occasion I had a somewhat of a noir theme going and the tools of choice was a Parker 92R with Crystal (also known as Israeli Personnas) DE razor Blade for the shave on both head and face; following it up with the HeadBlade ATX for a cleanup pass on my scalp.

Shave tools of choice to try out the Game Day Shave Cream

As the product name ‘Shave Cream: Brushless Hydrating Protection’ suggests,  it was designed to be used as without a brush.  I decided to try the Game Day Shave Cream on my head first and applied it to my head with only my fingers.  To the touch it reminded me of the Lemon Lime Taylor Of Old Bond Street (or TOBS for short) Shave Cream in a Bowl or Cremo Shave Cream.  It applied nicely and smoothly.  I felt I got a nice, protective coating on my head and didn’t need to use a lot of product.  A two finger dollop (like in the photo)  was able to cover half of my head. 

Game Day Men's Shave Cream (Left) and Taylor of Old Bond Street Lemon Lime

Both the 92R and HeadBlade glided nicely with the Game Day Shave cream and was able to get a with the grain, or WTG, pass with the Parker 92R.  I reapplied with my fingers for an against the grain, or ATG, clean up pass with the HeadBlade ATX.  Personally, I found the glide was similar to that of HeadSlick but without the menthol sensation.

Game Day Shave Cream Applied to Head with Fingers

For the face, I decided to use a badger brush.  Even though they designed it as a brushless shave cream, Game Day mentioned to us that men who shave with a brush also enjoy this Sandalwood Shave Cream.  Personally, I could see why.  I found that I didn’t need a lot to build a good lather with a brush and I felt I got a good protective layer for my shave.  Many have pointed out that a good lather will resemble a meringue. I used a about an almond sized dollop on a badger brush and mug and was pleasantly surprised to find that the Game Day Men’s Shave Cream was forming that meringue-like quality.   Another time, I bypassed the mug and decided to face lather with another almond sized amount of shave cream.  Again, pleasantly surprised to be able to build a creamy and thick lather. 

Game Day Shave Cream mug lather with shave brush

Game Day Shave Cream Face Lathered with Badger Brush

I did a two pass shave (WTG and ATG) with the Parker 92R, lathering between each pass.  After the first pass there was enough product left in the brush for the second pass.  I felt the razor glide nicely along my face and when done I did not feel any irritation.  After rinsing my face and head I noticed a light scent of the shave cream still lingering. 

While the Game Day Aftershave is normally a nice finishing touch to my shaving routine, I decided to complete this session with the Proraso Green After Shave Splash (Refreshing & Toning Formula) to see how some other scents mix, and I found that the Proraso Green complemented the light sandalwood scent that remained. 

If you’re  considering switching from an aerosol shave cream but don’t use a shave brush, or are looking to add a different sandalwood scent to the shaving artillery; consider Game Day’s Brushless Hydrating Protection Shave Cream.    Even though it was designed to be brushless , my experience using it with a brush was just as pleasant as using it without.

Have you tried any of the Game Day Men’s products? Leave a comment and let us know if you have and what your favorite is.