If you’ve been playing with Midjourney for a while like me, you’ve probably noticed something: sometimes your image turns out fine, but other times it looks like it came straight from an editorial Pinterest board.
The difference?
Often, it’s just a few magic words in your prompt 💕
After hundreds (and hundreds!) of generations and TONS of slops, I’ve learned that certain little phrases completely transform your results: adding warmth, realism, or that dreamy aesthetic glow we all love.
Prompt: Candid aesthetic iPhone photo of gorgeous mermaid swimming in the deep ocean with long wavy hair. Beige aesthetic, neutral colors, touch of gold. Feminine vibes, abundant sunlight, minimalism.
Today, I’m sharing 20 of my secret Midjourney prompt enhancers to help you level up your creations instantly. For editing your pics and creating graphics with them after, we have an extensive library of freebies and premium templates and other digital assets that can be super useful.
So if you’re into aesthetic images that have a soul and not just plastic, boring ai perfection, keep reading on because these are phrases worth saving for your next Midjourney session [Also, make sure you check my post about the meaning of aesthetic here ♥ ]
My 20 Secret Midjourney Prompt Enhancers for Aesthetic Results
1. “Homemade footage of…” – adds cozy realism, like a moment captured on an old camera. Example: Homemade footage of a girl laughing in her messy art studio, sunlight streaming through old windows, dreamy and candid aesthetic, vintage grain, warm tones.
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2. “Paper texture” – perfect for handmade, tactile vibes. Example: Flat lay of a handwritten love letter, pressed flowers, soft blush tones, cozy lighting, paper texture, romantic aesthetic, tumblr inspired.
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3. “Soft afternoon light” – creates that golden, ethereal tone everyone loves. Example: Young woman reading in a Parisian café, soft afternoon light glowing through the window, gentle warm blur, cinematic focus.
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4. “Shot on film” – gives a cinematic, nostalgic quality. Example: Girl walking barefoot along the coastline at golden hour, shot on film, nostalgic tones, calm summer mood, soft breeze aesthetic.
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5. “Candid lifestyle photography” – adds authenticity and movement. Example: Friends baking cookies in a pastel kitchen, candid lifestyle photography, laughter, flour on their faces, cozy and feminine atmosphere.
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6. “Editorial still from a fashion magazine” – gives structure, styling, and polish. Example: Modern witch aesthetic editorial still from a fashion magazine, moody background, gold jewelry, soft dramatic lighting, ethereal model pose.
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7. “Moody studio lighting” – great for dramatic or minimal aesthetics. Example: Portrait of a young woman with freckles wearing a white silk blouse, moody studio lighting, cinematic shadows, painterly tones.
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8. “Styled flat lay on a linen surface” – ideal for stationery, skincare, or aesthetic products. Example: Aesthetic skincare flat lay on a linen surface, natural textures, amber bottles, eucalyptus leaves, neutral tones, minimalist composition.
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9. “Art direction by Wes Anderson” – instantly adds symmetry and color storytelling. Example: Two girls on vintage bicycles in front of pastel houses, art direction by Wes Anderson, symmetry, soft retro colors, cinematic mood.
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10. “Soft pastel palette” – unifies tones beautifully, especially for aesthetic content. Example: Spring picnic scene with a pastel blanket, lemon water, and flowers, soft pastel palette, romantic and feminine atmosphere.
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11. “Bokeh background” – creates visual depth and dreaminess. Example: Instagram influencer holding a bouquet of daisies, smiling softly, bokeh background with golden light orbs, dreamy portrait aesthetic, tumblr inspired, outdoor photography.
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12. “Photographed through a vintage lens” – subtly blurs and warms up the image. Example: Old bookstore interior, young woman flipping through pages, photographed through a vintage lens, blurred edges, warm cinematic tone.
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13. “A Polaroid photo of…” – adds instant nostalgic charm. Example: A Polaroid photo of two best friends at the beach, handwritten notes on the border, grainy nostalgic aesthetic, film tone.
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14. “Shot with natural morning light” – perfect for calm, minimalist images. Example: Cozy bedroom with white curtains and plants, girl with big curly hair journaling with coffee, shot with natural morning light, minimalism, airy, feminine vibes, calm energy. Faded color palette.
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15. “Grainy analog look” – helps remove that too-perfect AI sharpness. Example: Young woman walking through city streets at dusk, grainy analog look, neon reflections, introspective mood, 90s film aesthetic.
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16. “Moodboard layout with overlapping images” – for scroll-stopping compositions. Example: Angelcore moodboard layout with eight overlapping images, a lace textures, a sparkle explosion, some white florals, a piece of paper with dreamy typography, an agel-like face, the silhouette of a fairy, a stunning secret garden landscape and beautiful clouds in a clear sky. Pinterest-style design, white and beige aetshetic.
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17. “Warm cinematic tones” – gives your visuals that movie color grading feel. Example: Girl in a flowy dress standing in a wheat field at sunset, warm cinematic tones, glowing light, nostalgic lens flare.
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18. “Ethereal haze” – perfect for fantasy or romantic atmospheres. Example: Fairy-like girl in a forest glade surrounded by soft light beams, ethereal haze, magical realism, pastel tones.
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19. “Handcrafted aesthetic scene” – adds realism and storytelling. Example: Handcrafted aesthetic scene of a cozy artist desk, paintbrushes, candles, sketchbook, natural textures, calm feminine energy.
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20. “Dreamcore aesthetic” – amplifies emotion, softness, and surreal color flow. Example: Girl standing in a field of wildflowers under a lilac sky, dreamcore aesthetic, soft glow, whimsical fantasy tones, cinematic softness.
How to Use Them
With the examples I gave above, you’ll have an idea how the phrases can be used. Just sprinkle one or two at the end of your prompt, like this:
“cozy bedroom filled with books and plants, homemade footage of a rainy afternoon, soft afternoon light”
Or combine them strategically depending on the look you want:
“vintage kitchen scene, shot on film, paper texture, soft pastel palette”
It’s all about experimenting and finding what brings your ideas to life.
Bonus: 5 Extra Midjourney Phrases for Ultra-Aesthetic, Storytelling Images
Sometimes the most magical prompts feel like a memory instead of a photo. These are the phrases that create that vibe — soft, lived-in, emotional.
21. “captured on disposable camera”
girl sitting on the grass at a summer festival, captured on disposable camera, sunlight flares, imperfect focus, nostalgic energy
💡 Adds realism, imperfection, and authenticity — like something found in an old photo box.
22. “taken from an old diary illustration”
dreamy bedroom filled with vintage books and flowers, taken from an old diary illustration, watercolor texture, delicate lines
💡 Gives a handmade, illustrated feel perfect for cottagecore or coquette scenes.
23. “found footage aesthetic”
mystical garden glowing at dusk, found footage aesthetic, grainy texture, magical realism, hauntingly beautiful
💡 Creates the eerie-beautiful “lost memory” vibe popular on Tumblr and mood videos.
24. “styled like a vintage lifestyle magazine cover”
retro style photograph of woman wearing a cream dress in a 1950s kitchen, styled like a vintage lifestyle magazine cover, pastel tones, balanced composition
💡 Adds polish and compositional harmony — amazing for retro, vanilla girl, or old money aesthetics.
25. “dreamed but never photographed”
two angelic girls floating through a lavender sky, dreamed but never photographed, surreal soft tones, movement blur, cinematic fantasy glow with abundant light shining through.
💡 For surreal, emotional imagery that feels halfway between dream and memory.
26. “vintage glitch effect”
young woman seen from her back sitting at top of a building, headphones on, staring at the sunset over a large metropolis. Pink and purple color palette, cyberpunk aesthetics, lo-fi vibes, vintage monitor glitch effect.
💡 For retro-looking visuals and cyberpunk aesthetics.
✦ Save for Later
If you found this list useful, bookmark this post or pin it to your AI art inspo board. I’ll be sharing more Midjourney aesthetic tips and prompt cheat sheets soon!
You can also explore my aesthetic freebies page for textures, PNGs, and creative tools to complement your AI art projects.
Love,
Lucy ♡₊˚
