Nothing more boring than working out: Jessica Alba

It's hard to believe but sexy Jessica Alba hates working out. The svelte mother of two (mum to daughters Honor, born in 2008, and Haven, born in 2011) said in a phone interview from her Los Angeles base, "I don't like it (working out) that much but I do different things -- usually loud music is involved -- and as many different things as possible jammed into a short period of time. I find that there's nothing more boring than working out."

Well, like it or not, you have to give the 32-year-old props for working hard.

Her rigorous usage of double corsets 24/7 over three months, coupled with her dedication to a strict exercise and diet plan, following the birth of her younger daughter Haven was widely publicised. She showed off an awesome, bikini-ready body - looking just as good as she did pre-pregnancy - as early as four months after delivery.

Part of her charm and attractiveness lies in her unassuming, friendly nature -- when she was praised during the phone interview for looking "fabulous", she responded with "I'm not! I'm really not. But thank you for thinking that!"

Acting aside, Alba, best known for starring in Honey and as the Invisible Woman in both the Fantastic Four movies, also co-founded The Honest Company, creating and selling organic and toxin-free household and baby products. Her book, The Honest Life, published in March 2013, rocketed to number 3 on the New York Times' Bestseller list shortly after it was launched. In it, she shares about her childhood illnesses and current allergies, and gives tips on how to live a healthy and wholesome life.

The Honest Company, she said, was formed "out of necessity" because she wanted to help parents protect their children from companies that sold chemical-laden products that may be wrongly marketed as "eco-friendly" or "green". As for her book, Alba said it was something that she wanted for herself -- an unadulterated platform for her story.

"Did I ever think when I was 25 I was going to start a family? No. But it has really been so fun and so fulfilling," she said. "I love being an entrepreneur; I do have that entrepreneurial spirit."

So how does she balance running a company, acting and taking care of her kids, all at the same time? The short answer from her is, she doesn't.

"I'm terrible at balancing; I try to do the best I can," she said. "I always feel like I'm compromising on one thing or the other, (but I always) put my kids first -- as long as they're happy, everything else falls into place."

Her children are who she thinks of when she travels too, but she won't be bringing them to Singapore next weekend for the inaugural Social Star Awards, which she will be hosting alongside Entourage star Jeremy Piven.

However, her husband, musician Cash Warren, will be joining her, and she says they will celebrate their fifth anniversary in the city.

"It'll be a good little getaway... it'll be a nice, interesting, totally different, awesome anniversary!" she said happily. She did, however, add that her time in Singapore will be limited and she hopes to return for a longer family vacation in the future.

Although she will be in Singapore for the first time, Alba's ties with the Lion City go back at least eight years -- she appeared in a sizzling Tiger beer commercial in 2005.

"I'm really, really, really excited (about being in Singapore)," she enthused. "I have a girlfriend who's already given me a list of all the things I need to do... but I'll only be here a day... I think I'm going to be in the airplane longer than I will be on the ground!

The Social Star Awards will be held at Marina Bay Sands on 23 May. It will feature live performances by big names like Aerosmith, CeeLe Green, Carly Rae Jepsen, Psy, Sky Blu and Blush. Tickets begin from $108; get them at www.starcount.com/tickets

The Singapore Social Concerts will take place on 24 and 25 May at The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay. Get your tickets from www.starcount.com/tickets