Whether you know her from her personal Instagram account (Murielle) or from her lifestyle publication account (Murielle Magazine) – Dutch content creator Muriëlle van Schaik has long been making a name for herself in the fashion and travel influencer/blogger community.
Delivering an old-school Italian feel to her feed as she traverses European continents from shooting at Louvre in Paris, to boating in Puglia, to attending Berlin Fashion Week – Murielle’s account has you part wanting to visit every location she’s snapped at and part wanting to buy everything she’s wearing [sorry bank balance].
Here, we pull Murielle aside to find out a bit more of her life – from career highlights, to favourite products, to top Instagram tips.
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Mel Vandersluis, Zoe Hoad, and Steph Weizman.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Retirides – a cream I always buy in Spain that contains tretinoin, which is magic stuff for your skin
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? Is sleep a beauty product as well? Because I look ten times better when I get enough of that! Besides sleep, my daily skincare, mascara, bronzer, and lipstick
3. Hair “done” or messy? Well, I’m not so good at creating hairstyles – I just brush my hair and it’s DONE for me, but looks a bit messy sometimes
4. Favourite fragrance? Guerlain Insolence
5. Favourite item of clothing? PJs of course. However, I like to wear high waisted jeans when stepping out of my house
6. Favourite fashion brand? My beloved Zara
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? I like boxing, which I can do indoors and outdoors
8. Healthy eating or treating yourself? Treating myself, however, I need to eat healthy or else I will gain too much weight and that doesn’t look good on me since I’m a short girl
9. Can you cook? Eating is my passion, so yes – I can cook
10. Favourite food to indulge in? All types of pasta
11. First thing you pick from the mini-bar? Vodka
12. Best place to eat out? I have so many favourite spots, it really depends on my mood. For Italian food, I went to the Golden View Bar in Florence 4 weeks ago and the burrata was heavenly. Best I ever tasted
13. Happiest moment? When my little niece, Gwen, was born
14. Saddest moment? When my grandpa, my hero, passed away
15. Blog or YouTube? Youtube. I want to have a cool Youtube channel as well. Can someone please help me with creating videos?
16. Iphone or camera? Camera
17. Type of camera? I wish I had a Leica
18. Facetune or untouched? No untouched, but no Facetune either
19. Lightroom or VSCO? Lightroom – and you can ‘Facetune’ with that as well…
20. Favourite filter? I had a favourite filter, M5, from VSCO before I used Lightroom
21. Favourite way to edit pics? My new editing style is a light/bright vintage style with less contrast, low saturation but with bright vintage tones
22. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? Full-time influencer, plus I run an art gallery with my dad and brother: Van Schaik Art Gallery
23. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? Tip from my mum
24. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? Perhaps an hour?
25. What’s your top Instagram tip? Don’t compare yourself to the others. Only post what you love
26. Who takes your pics? Anyone who’s with me. My boyfriend, my friends, my mother etc
27. Career highlight since being an influencer? The Cannes film festival trip
28. Career lowlight since being an influencer? Last year when I had a period in which I didn’t have any creativity
29. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? That was a lookbook campaign shoot for a shoe brand in Puglia, Italy
30. Worst thing that’s happened to you on a photo shoot? They didn’t give me food
31. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? A few golden rings I wear every day
32. Last thing you googled? Pop art elements… don’t ask me why
33. Favourite film? ‘Casino’
34. Favourite book? It’s a Dutch book about how the brain works
35. Favourite song? Oh I have so many fave songs – mostly very old, classic songs. Think right now I would go for ‘The Wonder Of You’ by Elvis Presley
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? In the city. Too much sand is no good for anyone
37. Favourite travel destination? Italy
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? Still have to find that one
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? My makeup, my camera, and laptop
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? I think I will go for the (quiet) dinner with friends and after that we all go out clubbing
41. Partner or single? Partner
42. Siblings? I have an older brother
43. What city are you currently living in? A village near the city Amsterdam
44. Celebrity crush? Tom Hardy looks nice
45. Pets? My dog died a few years ago – still can’t replace my pal
46. What is your best asset? Friendship, because laughter is the best medicine
47. Biggest misconception about you and your job? Mostly people think you’re very dumb and superficial – just keep it that way. I like the element of surprise!
48. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @celestebarber @muriellemagazine @vanschaikgallery @awkwardfamilyphotos @historyphotographed
49. Favourite quote you live by? Do it with passion or not at all
50. Top career tip? Do whatever you like, just make sure you make some money with it as well so you can live.
All images: Murielle
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