I'm pretty amazed that we're here at all, renovation ready and finally getting the finishing touches to make our home liveable - i.e. our mattress from European Bedding!


Full disclosure: We were gifted their Heveya Mattress, but Justin and I are crazy about it! Buying a mattress for our first home is a very personal choice, so we still did a bunch of research on different types of mattresses and materials because we didn't know the first thing about them. I'm going to share with you guys more about what I found out and hopefully help you guys understand about the mattress industry more to help with your decision making (and I'll try not to be too biased, but we really love our mattress, did I say that already?)


What comes to mind when mattress shopping is usually showrooms blindingly lit with fluorescent lights and rows of mattress after mattress for you to lie on and attempt to tell the difference after an awkward 5 minutes of a salesman staring at you.

On top of that, the mattress industry is notoriously opaque, and it is generally known that no mattress model in one showroom is ever the same as another showroom. This is to intentionally confuse consumers from price matching and keep the margins high, which sucks for us!

It's so nice seeing European Bedding shake the industry a little and change my perception of what mattress shopping could be. Their showroom in Tiong Bahru is all kinds of interior goals and we were directed to just one simple option to try: The Heveya.


One unique selling point about the Heveya is that unlike most mattresses which are made of a mixture of springs, foam, memory foam etc, it is completely made of Latex - and not just any latex but 100% natural organic latex made from sustainably managed rubber trees in Sri Lanka!

Even if you don't consider yourself to be a greenie and just want to get something that is good value, 100% latex mattresses are considered the most durable of all mattress materials on top of being breathable, naturally dust mite and mould resistant, AND it conforms to your body shape, which is something that foam and spring mattresses do not do as well (a lot of mattresses are a mix of all materials though, but I'll talk about that more in a bit!)

I had to search hard to find bad things about latex mattresses because I really wanted figure out why more companies don't make them since the benefits are so outstanding, right??


So, the material of a Queen sized latex mattress requires the sap of 12 acres of rubber trees and 8 rubber tappers to tap the sap for one whole day, which is a lot of trees and not a small number of people for one mattress.

Simply put: Manufacturers rarely make 100% Latex Mattresss because it is just too expensive for them to mass produce and also get their margins. Hence, more cost-effective filler materials like spring and foam are often used, which is totally fine if you are on a budget and need an affordable option. Do beware that a lot companies try to ride on the wonderful benefits of latex by adding a thin 1-2 inch latex mattress topper above to sell it as "natural", so do check the composition of your mattress before purchasing!

I know it seems like Justin and I love finding cheap deals, but in actuality, we love finding value deals (i.e. we don't mind paying for things that are worth more than what we can get our there in the market). European Bedding's Heveya starts at $3.5K for a Queen and $4.5K for a King, which is not any more expensive than other "branded" mattresses, but the difference is that you know exactly what materials you are getting... and you are getting 100% all the good, quality stuff.


Of course, everything has its pros and cons and it wouldn't be fair not to share about it! The downsides to Latex are that a) it is considered heavy b) it is comparatively expensive c) there is some motion transfer.

I would say the weight of the mattress is compensated by the fact that it is actually split into several layers and zipped together in their all natural bamboo mattress cover, so the weight is very manageable. Moreover it can be rolled up when moving, and honestly, how often do you move your bed :'D

Price is relative, but I think I covered why it is a value buy earlier, and since you'll be keeping your mattress for 5-10 years it definitely is worth much consideration!

Motion transfer wise - yes, it is quite bouncy initially when you jump onto the bed, but having slept on it for a week already and being a very light sleeper, it honestly does not affect me, but I'll let you guys know again after 100 days (because European Bedding lets you have a 100 nights free trial for the mattress in which you can return it if you don't like it!)

It's been a wild Christmas and year end getting the house done, dealing with The Ordinary Co's busiest period of the year and also finding time in between to hang with friends and enjoy the festive season! Super grateful for Fujifilm for sending me their SQ20 Instax to capture all the memories over December!


While I already have a rectangle Instax, there's just something very classic about a square one which has been missing in my life!! The Fujifilm SQ20 is the latest version after the SQ10 and comes with all kinds of nifty features like the live screen to preview and edit your photos before printing, and a large dial to navigate the camera. While part of the fun and mystique of printing instax's is not knowing what's going to come out, it can also be costly at parties because the moment may have passed and people may have moved on (or the precious instax may come out blank or not properly lit... which has happened to me so much :'D)


Fortunately this goes away since you can brighten and even add a filter to the images before printing them out! And if you want more than one, the photos can be saved and reprinted so that you don't have to get everyone to stand there and wait for multiple shots so that everyone gets an Instax, letting the party move on.


While it comes at a heftier price tag of $299 compared to other Instax cameras, it's a nice bridge between digital and analogue to future proof your moments! Now I can't wait for to capture the rest of the year. Cheers guys!

So I've been to J's Salon a few times before on my own, but sharing is caring right! This time the team kindly let me bring along dear Laveena for some girly spa time (cause goodness knows we hardly see each other in the day, hahaha).

Got our hair treated and pampered at the highest level of luxury one could ever hope for, and I have been so thoroughly spoilt to the point where I get kinda snobby when I go to other spas cause nowhere has as much attention to detail as J's!


Their Deluxe Garden Suite is E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I will never, ever tire of how peaceful and tranquil it is with it's plush chairs, soothing sounds of the fountain trickling in the background, and the delicious smell of Kerastase products... all whilst overlooking the Singapore River!


But first! We got our scalp and hair condition diagnosed so that our treatment could be specially tailored to our needs. Was very honored to have salon director herself, June, who is also a certified trichologist, to take an in-depth look into both our hair and scalp condition.

For me, I have a sensitive scalp, so I was given the Kerastase Specifique anti-pelluclaire treatment and their Aura Botanica range for my damaged hair (it's organic!) to nourish and tame the frizz.