Stars & Sage: Stop and Smell the Roses


If you know me or have been following me for a while, you might have noticed I have a few ride or die types of items that I always have on hand -- floral waters, nail polish, oils, and possibly my all time favourite, bath products.  We take a bath every weekend, and I adore the sheer amount of choice there is when drawing the perfect soak.  There are salts, oils, bubble bars, truffles, bombs, liquid bubble bath, milks, and more.  A scent for every situation, and a style for every need!

So, you can imagine how excited I was when I found what could only be my PERFECT subscription service -- one that delivers a full bath ritual right to your door every month!  Stars & Sage is the only beauty box that caters specifically to bathtime, and they curate cruelty free mind and body care kits that create the perfect ritual.

Each box contains between three and six products that are ethically minded, and Stars & Sage strive for organic, natural, plant based, and transparent brands whenever possible.  Based on this month's selection and the previous two boxes, this aim has been met!  I also love that there are both cult classics like Isla Apothecary's Blood Orange & Vanilla sugar scrub alongside lesser known artisan names like Forage Botanicals.  This makes for a great variety and ups the excitement for me as I love discovering new brands just as much as I like testing out products from tried and true favourites.

Another plus is that each box is themed - for May it was "Stop & Smell the Roses," and since I am super keen on the scent, I was really looking forward to opening up my box and trying all the amazing green goodies.  With six main items, two crystals, three chunks of pure Himalayan salt, a handy bath accessory, and an adorable "La vie en ROSE" sticker, this turned out to be more than I could have hoped for!


Inside the May box is a gift set from Nathalie Bond Organics that includes a 60ml jar of Rose and Patchouli Bath Salts, a 30ml bottle of Rose and Patchouli Body Oil, and one of their 60ml soy candles in (you guessed it!) Rose and Patchouli.  There is also a full size bottle of Balm Balm's lovely Little Miracle Rosehip Serum, a full size bottle of Yellow Gorse French Pink Clay Facial Mask, and a full size pot of Cornflower, Rose & Jasmine Floral Rinse from The Dirt Creative.

This month's "rosy additions" are five rock crystals including 3 chunks of Pink Himalayan Salt, one beautiful piece of Rose Quartz, and a stunning White Howlite gem, plus there is the adorable sticker and a helpful reusable 'tea bag' that helps eliminate any mess.

Ingredients: Cornflowers (centaurea cyanus), Rose Petals (rosaceae), Jasmine Flowers (jasminum)

Soy Candle Ingredients: natural (GMO free) soy wax and pure essential oils

Body Oil Ingredients:  carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil*, simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil*, pelargonium graveolens (rose geranium/géranium rosat) flower oil*, cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) oil*, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil*, tocopherol (vitamin e). */COSMOS organic ingredient



Bath Salts Ingredients: sodium chloride (himalayan pink salt), caprylic/capric triglyceride (coconut), pelargonium graveolens (rose geranium/géranium rosat) flower oil, cymbopogon martini (palmarosa) oil, pogostemon cablin (patchouli) oil

Ingredients: Rosa Canina (Rosehip), Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba), Borago Officinalis (Borage), Boswellia Neglecta (Frankincense), Pelagonium Graveolens (Rose Geranium), Cymbopogon Martini (Palmarosa), Juniperus Communis (Juniper Berry), Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin).

Ingredients: french pink clay

The box also came with a booklet that describes every item in detail and includes instructions as well as full ingredient lists.  I seriously love this little touch, as I sometimes struggle to figure out how to use items and this made the whole 'ritual' really come into its own.

My pamphlet lists four simple steps for my routine: Prep, Recharge, Mask, and Hydrate.  To prepare for the ritual, you just need to get a drink ready, pre-fill your bath teabag, and grab a small bowl of water and a lighter.  Well, that and fill your bath with warm water of course!

When you are all sorted, the next step is to light your candle, get into the tub, and begin to relax.  You can throw in a piece of Pink Himalayan Salt and a handful of Nathalie Bond Bath Salts before meditating (there are some great tips included in the booklet to get you started!), and when the smell of the infused essential oils begins to fade you can add your teabag full of The Dirt Creative Floral rinse for "a renewed floral intensity."  The bath salts are divine, and fill the whole room with their floral fragrance, and I found they did not dissipate much so I ended up saving my 'tea' for step three.

Stars&Sage have a fab Spotify account with several playlists provided to listen to while soaking, and I found the "Water" one ideal as it is 33 minutes long, and the recommended time to spend in the tub is about 30 minutes to avoid dehydration.  It is a soothing selection of nature sounds, mainly rainfall and trickling water, and I found it was perfect for self-reflection and relaxation.

Right before you are finished in the bath, you can mix the Yellow Gorse french pink clay facial mask into a creamy paste and apply to clean, dry skin.  Then, for the remaining ten minutes of your bath you can just sit back with your eyes closed and wait for your mask to dry.  My sensitive skin found this mask gentle enough to use without any issues, and I was happy to say my skin felt detoxified without having any angry spots immediately pop up.  I rinsed the mask off with The Dirt Creative floral water which gave my skin and hair a bit of a hydration boost, then began to drain the bath and got ready for step four!

Once I had drip dried, I applied the body oil (which like the salts and the candle, smells amazing!!)  and then moved on to gently massage in the facial serum.  I have to say, at the end of this bath I am surprised that I myself did not turn into a rosebud or something, as I was so fragrant!



Overall, the collection's six main items are worth over £53, so with the other added treats I would estimate over £60 altogether.  For a box that costs just £27 plus postage, this is a fantastic savings and a perfect pamper present to yourself or for a friend.  I adore every item included in the May edition, and I found my bathtime ritual was seriously improved by all the amazing tips and tricks inside the Stars & Sage booklet.

If you want to subscribe for the June box, be sure to do so soon -- boxes ship out on the third week of every month!  The theme will be "Summer" and the contents are worth £52.  I took a sneaky peek and it is full of lovely beach inspired products and summer scents, so if you are keen to bring the sunshine into your bathroom, check it out!

What do you think about this bathtime ritual subscription service?  Is Stars & Sage something you would be interested in?  And if so, what would you love to see included in future boxes?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

16 comments

  1. Oh wow I've never heard of this kind of subscription box, but it sounds like absolute perfection! I love having a relaxing bath and having treats sent to my door would be ideal :)

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    1. I'm so happy to have found a bath specific box - that's my main way of destressing at the end of the week! :)

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  2. Love the sound of this! It looks amazingly good value xx

    Emma @ www.beautyfolio.co.uk

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  3. These sound like my sort of products and I love the scent of roses. The packaging is really attractive too.

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  4. I was just looking at the photos thinking how beautifully these are packing when I realised that Stars & Sage are a serious company when they even provide you with a Spotify account playlist to listen to. Amazing!

    www.yeahlifestyle.com

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    1. I know right! I was so surprised and so appreciated the little touch

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  5. What an incredible price for all of those products and an amazing pamper treat. This would make such a good gift but I think it would also be so relaxing for me when I’m having a bad pregnancy day.

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  6. That looks like a great subscription box for those that like the holistic approach

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  7. I've never heard of this box before, it sounds absolutely amazing!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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  8. I haven't heard of this box before but it sounds like a dream! I adore roses and looooove baths so I'll have to try a box one day.

    Helen
    Tea in the Tub

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  9. This box of goodies looks absolutely fantastic - what brilliant value for money too. Kaz

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  10. What a lovely box of goodies and a subscription box at that.

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  11. I have never heard of that kind of subscription box before! Will definitely be checking it out for myself :)

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  12. What a wonderful subscription box. I love rosehip, it’s so good for sensitive skin!

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  13. What a lovely subscription box! I often find they are never worth the money, but this one looks great.

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