When her husband was offered a job in Switzerland at the end of 2016, Jayde Archives creator Jayde Scukovic jumped at the chance to join him on the “adventure of a lifetime”. Longing to create something beautiful and having worked in graphic design and marketing in Australia for the past 10 years, Jayde used the relocation as motivation to transform her Instagram account into a blog.
Putting her marketing, design, and photography skills to good use – Jayde soon began paving out a new pathway for herself, pivoting her career to turn full-time influencer. A move that appears to be paying off – with Jayde growing her Instagram from 2K to 63K+ in the past 12 months (we actually interviewed Jayde about this when she was sitting at 28K, click here for those interested in taking a read).
With a pink feed fit for any fairytale, an incredibly open view on sharing, and constant tips not only on Instagram but how to have a capsule wardrobe stooped in sustainable practices – we know Jayde is only going to keep thriving. Having followed her right from those early 2K days, we were thrilled to get the chance to get Jayde into the Husskie Fast 50 hot seat. Here, we chat to the lifestyle influencer about everything from first getting into Instablogging to being a 90s r’n’b fan (and everything in between).
Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with Kelly Hill, Salty Luxe, and Fiona Barron.
1. Best beauty product of all time? Jojoba oil – I use it every single day (especially in winter). I use it as a body moisturiser, face oil, and put a little on the end of my hair as a leave in conditioner
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? 1) Jojoba oil 2) My NARS Creamy Concealer – some days it’s all I wear 3) Clinique Lash Power Mascara – it’s a tubing mascara that stays put all day and night but also comes off with warm water 4) Essie Nail Polish – love doing my nails when I travel and Essie lasts a whole week without chipping 5) Glamglow Poutmud in Love Scene – I get super dry lips and this balm has cocoa butter and almond oil so it is a life saver
3. Hair “done” or messy? Haha, well half the time it’s a messy bun and the other half I use my conical curler and wear it down
4. Favourite fragrance? Coco Chanel Mademoiselle – the perfume I wore to my wedding!
5. Favourite item of clothing? I have a skirt by Free People that I’ve been wearing forever, it’s pale pink and perfect for twirling
6. Favourite fashion brand? I’ve recently started making a conscious effort to switch over to sustainable/ethical brands and my new faves are Everlane and Reformation. I have actually just put together a list of the most beautiful sustainable/ethical brands which can be found on my blog here
7. Gym or exercising outdoors? I do yoga every morning at home – in summer I love to go to classes in the park near my apartment
8. Healthy eating or treating yourself? Hmmm… can I say both? I try to eat healthy whenever I can and during the week but I’m also never afraid to have a treat!
9. Can you cook? Yes, but I prefer when my hubby does. He’s a really good cook!
10. Favourite food to indulge in? Anything Italian…. Carbonara is one of my favourites
11. First thing you pick from the mini-bar? This is going to sound super boring, but sparkling water! Since I moved to Europe I’ve become a little addicted to it
12. Best place to eat out? In Zurich, one of my favourite brunch places is called Rooftop. They do a buffet brunch with bottomless champagne (yes the real stuff) – here’s a photo from last time I was there
13. Happiest moment? I’d say my wedding day and also the day we found out we were moving to Switzerland
14. Saddest moment? Last year my dog Lola passed away in an accident. We had decided to leave her at home in Australia with family while we were in Switzerland. We thought it was the best thing for her because the 24-hour flight can be traumatic and she loved running around in the yard all day, but in Switzerland we live in a small apartment. I miss her like crazy and I’m still dealing with my grief. It breaks my heart that she never knew we were coming back for her and we never got to say goodbye
15. Blog or YouTube? I do both, but if I had to pick one – it would be blogging
16. Iphone or camera? I use my camera whenever I can, just because I know RAW files are much easier to edit
17. Type of camera? At the moment I am using my Nikon D5300, but I am really wanting to upgrade!
18. Facetune or untouched? Untouched
19. Lightroom or VSCO? I use Lightroom for all of my editing
20. Favourite filter? I actually have my own presets. My editing is a little unique with a pink, dreamy look! You can take a peek at my preset packs here (I even have a free one)
21. Favourite way to edit pics? I prefer my photos being light and exposed with a soft pink overtone.
22. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? Since moving to Switzerland, I’ve made the jump to full-time influencer – the biggest and scariest life change I’ve ever made. So far though it’s all been worth it!
23. How did you first get your start in Instablogging? Actually it kind of just happened one day. I had gotten my new camera and wanted to practice so just started taking photos around the house. My very first photo is of a pair of shoes – something I would never post today. But it’s really fun to see how my journey and style has evolved since then
24. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? They all vary, it could be anywhere from 30 mins to 3 hours!
25. What’s your top Instagram tip? Be genuinely you and be social… I think a lot of us forget that social media is about being social. Try to think of it as a physical community. If you just sat at home all the time and waited for people to come and knock on your door and say hello, you’d be waiting a long time. It’s the same on Instagram, you can set up an account and create good content, but nobody will know you exist unless you get out there and socialise
26. Who takes your pics? My hubby Jase takes 99% of my photos – he likes to call himself ’tripod’
27. Career highlight since being an influencer? Working with Mazda Switzerland in summer this year was a pretty big gratitude moment for me, and honestly, every time I get a kind message from someone in the @jayde_archives community I’m so grateful. I still struggle to believe I inspire others, but when people tell me this it really makes my day
28. Career lowlight since being an influencer? Some weeks can be tough, when there’s not many new projects coming in I start to question whether or not I am good enough. When I’m busy, I’m much happier!
29. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? I’d have to say the Mazda Magic Road Trip campaign again! We were given a Mazda and road trip map and ended up in the most picturesque Swiss town. It was also National Swiss Day, so we watched the fireworks from our glass walled room (which was perched on a hill overlooking the town below)
30. Worst thing that’s happened to you on a photo shoot? I haven’t really had anything bad happen to me, but I remember one day getting really upset because I couldn’t quite get the shot I had in mind and I was feeling a little self-conscious too and was on the verge of tears. We are all human right?
31. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? I was invited to a fashion event in Autumn and was dressed by Ted Baker. They ended up gifting me a dress and handbag and I was pretty happy!
32. Last thing you googled? Haha, ‘how to spell mademoiselle’ for the question about my favourite fragrance!
33. Favourite film? ‘Moulin Rouge’
34. Favourite book? I don’t really have a favourite, but recently I really loved ‘Playing Big’ by Tara Mohr. A book I think any woman could benefit from, it’s all about dealing with our inner critic and taking steps towards the life we dream of
35. Favourite song? Right now it’s ‘Be Alright’ by Dean Lewis, but of all time maybe ‘No Scrubs’ TLC – I’m a big 90s rnb fan!
36. Living in the city or living by the beach? The beach
37. Favourite travel destination? Morocco has been one of my favourite trips so far
38. Most Instagram-worthy spot? Haha, well for me it’s anywhere in Europe in Spring! Flowery photos are my very favourite
39. Top three essentials to pack when traveling? Camera, lip balm, bed socks (my feet always get cold in hotels)
40. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? Quiet dinner with friends
41. Partner or single? Married to my high school sweetheart – we’ve been together for 12 years now!
42. Siblings? I have one younger brother
43. What city are you currently living in? Zurich
44. Celebrity/influencer crush? @taramilktea is one of my faves!
45. Pets? Nope
46. What is your best asset? Self discipline – I am really good at working for myself because I don’t let myself slack off
47. Biggest misconception about you and your job? That I have time to take naps everyday or just work half days – so many people don’t realise the time that goes into what I do. I work 9am-7pm weekdays and a few hours each weekend day too.
48. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @taramilktea @sarahannabella @officiallyquigley @katie.one @lifeintokyo
49. Favourite quote you live by? “Follow your bliss”
50. Top career tip? Hehe… follow your bliss! It’s so easy to get caught up in chasing a career because it’s the social norm. I wish I’d taken more time earlier in my life to really consider this. Because I always knew climbing the corporate ladder wasn’t for me, but I still spent 8 years doing it.
All images: Jayde Archives
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