50 Questions with Melina Mandarini's Melina Grützner

Her Instagram bio reads “more happiness pls”, and we can’t think of anything more fitting to go alongside Melina Grützner’s cheerful IG feed, Melina Mandarini. With an account showcasing a collection of pics with the Berlin-based influencer having a great time – the Husskie team was instantly drawn to Melina’s account (what can we say, we’re a sucker for a big smile!)

Thrilled to have Melina as the latest influencer to jump aboard Husskie’s Fast 50, here we chat to her about vegan obsessions, travelling to California on a campaign with British Airways, and receiving terrifying private Instagram messages…

Missed the last articles in the 50 Questions series? Click the links to read interviews with The Ambitionista‘s Heidi Nazarudin, Carmen Huter, and Elise Cook.

1. Best beauty product of all time? Coconut oil for hair, skin, lips, everything.
2. Five beauty products you can’t live without? Coconut Oil, Eyebrow Pencil, Kaufmann’s Kindercreme (it’s actually for babies but it leaves my skin sooo soft), Shampoo by Kerastase, eyebrow pencil again (haha because what’s more important than brows)
3. Hair “done” or messy? Messy!
4. Makeup or no makeup? No makeup, especially in summer
5. Favourite fragrance? Gold by DKNY
6. Favourite item of clothing? Ripped high-waist shorts
7. Favourite fashion brand? Phew, that’s a hard one… probably Urban Outfitters
8. Sneakers or heels? Sneakers!
9. Gym or exercising outdoors? It depends on the weather, but preferably outdoors
10. Yoga or running? Both! First running, then yoga

11. Healthy eating or treating yourself? Again: both! Healthy eating makes me feel good, treating myself is good for the soul
12. Can you cook? I can cook oats, does that count?
13. Favourite food? Vegan pizza!
14. Favourite drink? Gin & tonic
15. Best place to eat out? ‘The Bowl’ is one of my favourite vegan clean eating restaurants in Berlin. Try the California Bowl if you ever go there!
16. Happiest moment? When we found a lonely beach during a road trip from Melbourne to Adelaide. It was only us, the ocean, and the sun going down. It was magic
17. Saddest moment? When I was younger, we used to always have guinea pigs. The thing is that they always need company, so if one died, we had to get a new companion for the one remaining. When I was 16, we eventually didn’t want to continue this cycle so we gave our last guinea pig to the pet shelter. That was tough
18. Instagram or Snapchat? I’m still in the process of deciding what I like better. Right now it’s just better for my data to use Instagram Stories 😉
19. Blog or YouTube? I did YouTube a few years ago but I think I can express myself better on my blog, which is my main focus now, next to Instagram
20. Iphone or camera? 90% iPhone, 10% camera

21. Type of camera? I adore (!) my Sony a5100
22. VSCO cam or Snapseed? VSCO!
23. Facetune or untouched? Untouched please
24. Favourite filter? I really like 05, A5, C9 and HB2, accompanied by a dusty After Light filter…
25. Shooting on-the-go or location scouting? On-the-go! I want my pictures to be captured out of real life. If I see a cool spot, that’s it. If not, I’m not going to desperately search for one
26. 9-5 job or full-time influencer? 50% student, 50% influencer. I will still be in uni for two years but I’m trying to find a good balance
27. How did you get into blogging? I’ve just always loved writing and editing photos. After two years on Instagram only, I wanted my own creative space to share a little more than just pics
28. How much time goes into a normal picture found on your Instagram account? Around five minutes
29. Who takes your pics? Everybody! My friends, my sister, my flat mate … whoever I can ask that day haha
30. Most exciting moment since being an influencer? I traveled to California in collaboration with British Airways last year

31. Most terrifying moment since being an influencer? When people write you private messages saying they saw you somewhere that day. This happens around four times a week and I always wonder what I must have done that moment!
32. Best campaign you’ve ever worked on? Probably my trip to Palm Springs and L.A. with BA – which I mentioned above. We went to the desert trip festival on the Coachella festival area and saw The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and many more bands live. Who knows if this combination of musicians will ever exist that way again!
33. The best gift you’ve ever received as an influencer? Self-made vegan hazelnut spread from a follower
34. Last thing you googled? Probably something like ‘how to do taxes’ haha
35. Favourite film? ‘Moonlight’
36. Favourite book? ‘Narcissus and Goldmund’ by Hermann Hesse
37. Favourite song? Right now it’s probably ‘Another love’ by Tom Odell, but this really changes every single day
38. Favourite band? The Arctic Monkeys
39. Living in the city or living by the beach? Beach!!!
40. Summer or winter? Summer all the way

41. Favourite travel destination? Either the Western Australian coast or Cape Town
42. Going out clubbing or quiet dinner with friends? First dinner, then clubbing. In Berlin you can go out at any time of the day, so there’s no need to skip dinner 😉
43. Partner or single? Single
44. Siblings? I have one sister
45. What city are you currently living in? Berlin, baby
46. Celebrity girl crush? Emma Watson
47. Celebrity boy crush? I don’t have one
48. Pets? My cat Astra is the best!
49. Top five Instagram accounts to follow? @celestebarber, @vanellimelli, @nhmml, @theloversanddriftersclub, @mimielashiry
50. Favourite quote you live by? “Be your own hero”