MidJourney Skin Tokens Guide: Texture, Complexion & Finish | Complete Prompting Reference

MidJourney Prompting Guide

The Complete Guide to MidJourney Skin Tokens

Texture, complexion, and finish — what actually works, what doesn’t, and why

Texture Tokens

I tested three commonly used tokens for achieving realistic skin texture. My hypothesis? Each would produce slightly different results.

I was wrong.

1 micro-detail pores

2 visible pore texture

3 ultra-realistic skin texture

The Results

Different tokens. Nearly identical output.

micro-detail pores

ultra-realistic skin texture

visible pore texture

Each one delivered:

Clearly visible individual pores
Natural skin grain
Realistic texture you could almost feel
Freckles. Lots of freckles.

Key Finding

MidJourney treats all three tokens as the same instruction: “Make this skin look real.”

You’re wasting prompt space if you write:

      // ❌ Redundant — all three do the same thing

      ultra-realistic skin texture, visible pore texture, micro-detail pores

You only need one of them.

The Freckle Problem

MidJourney bundles freckles with realistic skin texture. In its training data, “realistic skin” equals skin with natural variations — freckles, moles, subtle marks.

This creates a limitation. You currently cannot reliably get:

      visible pores + NO freckles

      // They’re a package deal.

Complexion Tokens

Texture and complexion are separate dials. Here’s what actually works for controlling skin tone:

✓ olive complexion

✓ creamy skin tones

✓ sun-kissed skin

✗ cool undertones

What We Found

olive complexion — Golden-green undertones, tan, Mediterranean skin. Works reliably.

creamy skin tones — Smooth, soft, warm, polished finish. Controls quality + warmth.

sun-kissed skin — Golden, warm, naturally tanned glow. Summer, outdoor vibes.

cool undertones — Weak token. MJ shifts the lighting/mood instead of actual skin tone.

Finish Tokens

Controlling shine vs matte is tricky. MJ defaults to luminous, glowy skin for beauty portraits. Here’s what we tested:

✓ glass skin

✓ dewy skin

✓ wet-look skin

✓ oily skin

⚠ matte finish

⚠ natural matte

What We Found

glass skin — Maximum shine, mirror-like, polished. K-beauty aesthetic.

dewy skin — Wet, hydrated, fresh. Skincare ad look.

wet-look skin — Athletic, editorial, water droplets. Perfect for Nike/Adidas sports campaigns.

oily skin — Greasy, T-zone shine, realistic. Raw portraits or anti-shine skincare ads.

matte finish — Weak. Reduces shine slightly but doesn’t eliminate it.

natural matte — Weak. Still produces shine and luminosity on cheekbones and nose.

MJ’s beauty portrait training heavily favors glowy skin. Shine tokens are strong, matte tokens are weak.

      // To get closer to true matte, try stacking:

      matte finish, no shine, no highlights, powdered skin, flat lighting

      // Even then, results are inconsistent.

Shine Location Tokens

We tested adding location modifiers to control where shine appears:

✗ glow on nose bridge

✗ luminosity on cheekbones

✗ highlights on forehead

What We Found

Location modifiers don’t work. MJ distributes shine naturally across the face regardless of where you specify. The words luminosity, glow, sheen, and highlights are interchangeable — they all just mean “add shine.”

Key Takeaways

MidJourney’s skin rendering is powerful but opinionated. Understanding which tokens work — and which ones MJ ignores — will save you time and prompt space.

Quick Reference

Texture: Use visible pore texture — all texture tokens produce identical results.

Complexion: olive complexion, creamy skin tones, sun-kissed skin work reliably.

Finish: Shine tokens are strong (glass skin, dewy skin), matte tokens are weak.

Location modifiers: Don’t work. MJ distributes shine naturally regardless of where you specify.

Save this guide for your next MidJourney session