WHO: Ms Jasmin Tay is the founder of beauty salon Perky Lash, which offers eyelash, eyebrow and nail services.
Inspired by her father, who used to run a textile business, the 37-year-old business marketing graduate from SIM (Singapore Institute of Management) University had always wanted to be her own boss and run a beauty business.
The opportunity came in 2019 when she opened her first Perky Lash outlet at Nex shopping centre after working in the beauty industry for 10 years. With the opening of her fourth outlet in March at Northpoint City, Ms Tay is busier than ever. So when she gets time off on weekends, she makes sure it is well spent.
She lives with her husband Sean, a 40-year-old entrepreneur, and their eight-year-old daughter Xylia and six-year-old son Owen in the East Coast area.
“Being in the retail industry, weekends are usually the busiest time of the week. So whenever I have the weekend off, I will spend it with my husband and two kids.
One of our favourite activities is rock climbing. We go to The Rock School Climbing Gym at Our Tampines Hub. My kids and I will compete and encourage one another to conquer the different rock walls. Apart from the physical exercise, I think rock climbing helps them develop problem-solving skills and maintain focus and concentration.
Other weekend activities with the kids usually involve sports and exercise, such as cycling or inline skating at East Coast Park.
We will then head over to my mum’s house for dinner. This is also when I get to see my three sisters for a bonding session.
My mum is the chef at home, and she is really thoughtful when she plans the menu for the day, catering to the tastes of her children and grandchildren.
My favourite dish is her double-boiled chicken coconut soup. She prepares the chicken broth one day ahead and tops up the pre-cooked broth with fresh coconut and additional pork ribs and chicken meat. She will then double-boil the soup for another 10 hours.
I am close to my youngest sister so, on some weekends, I take the kids to her cafe – Bearded Bella in Craig Road. My kids like the food, which is a range of Asian and Western cuisine. They usually order the Epic Brekkie and I will get the Crab Croissant.
The cafe is pet-friendly, so there are usually dogs around for my kids to play with.
My family will also travel if there is a chance to take a long weekend trip.
We recently went to Penang for a short food-hunting holiday. One of our favourite breakfast places is 65c Ondo Bakery Cafe in Burma Road. It has freshly baked savoury and sweet pastries. The food was so good that we had it for breakfast the next day too.
We also went to Toh Soon Cafe in Lebuh Campbell for afternoon tea. It is a popular alleyway kopitiam that serves traditional charcoal-grilled kaya butter toast and its signature brewed coffee and tea. The queue for food is at least 30 minutes during weekends, but is worth the wait.
We also did rock climbing and even rode the e-scooter in the back alleys.
On weekend evenings, I read. Authors I admire are Jim Kwik, an American wellness coach who writes about improving performance and memory, and American Adam Grant, who explores organisational psychology. He focuses on training the mind to unlearn and relearn, and to embrace the joy of being wrong.
I like exploring new food places with my friends. Recently, we visited SYIP in Bendemeer Road. I like the minimalist design of the cafe. My favourite dish is the Kahlua Tiramisu dessert, which is moist, fluffy and not overly dense. We can spend hours sharing about work and family matters.
My husband and I also have date nights, usually on Saturday after the kids have gone to sleep. We enjoy live band music, and Tipsy Penguin in Tampines Avenue 5 is our favourite cosy bar with great food and affordable drinks. If the mood takes us, we may also go for a karaoke session.”
