Ajda Sitar /

how i edit my instagram photos

Wait for it… I am ready to spill the beans! For sure one of the most frequent questions I get is “How do you edit your Instagram photos?” and I thought it’s about time to reveal some photo secrets with you. For any blogger (me as well), photos are extremely important, especially if writing about beauty or fashion. And with blogging, comes the “responsibility” to be active on social media. I personally am active on Facebook, Instagram, occasionally Twitter and Snapchat. Pretty pictures provide me with a constant source of inspiration and I, at least try to be an inspiration to others as well. Believe it or not, Instagram is more than just a feed or adorable puppies and latest fashion trends, it’s mostly a way to promote your business (and your blog as well). I am not here to discuss whether it’s “fake” or not, not even about the impact it has on people. Today, I am letting you in on the steps I take before posting an Instagram photo on my Huawei P8!

1. TAKE A GOOD SHOT AND KEEP IN MIND YOUR FEED

That said, I want to keep my feed looking nice and therefore I don’t post icky, poorly taken photos. I want them to be crisp, clean and vibrant. So firstly, before editing a photo, you need a great camera (I highly recommend the Huawei P8, which I’ve been using after switching from iPhone), nice motive and good lighting (lighting is the key, I am telling you guys). Another thing you should consider before posting on Instagram is your feed. I don’t have a theme, however I do have a few rules when it comes to Instagram. I usually exchange a lighter (preferably mostly white) and darker (more colourful) photos; and I never post two similar ones right next to each other, as well as not one above the other. Most of my photos have vibrant colours, the whiteness is increased. Enough being said, let’s “do” some editing.

2. INSTAGRAM PHOTO APPS YOU NEED

I am not the biggest fan of overpowering filters, however I occasionally use some; but mostly I just play with settings and features in different apps. I mostly use the following apps:

SNAPSEED – is probably my favourite photo editing app of all times. Why? Because it allows me to edit individual parts of the photo, instead of changing the entire photo (find the “selective” tool). It’s genius, download it now if you haven’t already (it’s free).

VSCO CAM – this app probably holds the premium position by far for photo editing apps. I don’t use it every single time, however I like the filters A5 and HB2, especially on landscape photos or flatlays. I never use them to the maximum and I usually put them down to somewhere around 6.

AVIARY – I actually use it for one feature only, and thats to whiten specific areas of the photo. You’d need a steady hand to do it (not, if you’re whitening the whole photo though), but it’s the easiest way to remove some unwanted yellow lightening and make the photos more white.

INSTAGRAM – Honestly, I mostly play with the editing tools you can find directly on Instagram. To discover more, keep on reading…

3. SETTINGS – HOW I EDIT MY PHOTOS IN INSTAGRAM?

Most of my editing is done inside of the Instagram app itself. My favourite tweaks are to increase the Brightness (not much), Highlights (I often do it to the fullest), some Saturation (don’t go over board with ir, or it will look weird) and lower the Shadows a bit (to add some depth). When a photo has too much warm tones, I lower them down using the Warmth tool. Sometimes I add some Sharpen or Structure points as well, but rarely with selfies. I always play around and experiment with different styles depending on my mood and current blog content.

If you haven’t already, go check out my Instagram profile @ajdasitar.

photo: Katarina Veselič

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Ajda Sitar /

featuring:

jeans from DIESEL
shirt from PRIMARK
coat from MAX&CO.
watch from DANIEL WELLINGTON
bucket bag from VIVA’S LEATHER GOODS
shoes from CINTI (click)
hat from MAXMARA
phone HUAWEI P8

photo: Domen Blenkuš

makeup: Martina Borščak

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Ajda Sitar /

If you like fruity, fresh and sweet scents, then this post will be right up your alley. I’ve rounded up some of the products I’ve been using in the past few weeks and they all have one thing in common – they smell good enough to be eaten.

Le Couvent Des Minimes is a brand that never goes wrong with their botanical and fruity scents. Their Cologne Botanical Recipe of Love Eau Aimable is soft and soothing with its fruity and floral harmonious composition of orange blossom, bergamot and mandarin, wild rose, nasturtium and petitgrain. It’s a perfect choice at any time of the day and I would easily describe it as »happiness in a bottle«. Smile Lip Balm Orange Blossom Aroma is another product I go for on a daily basis. It contains softening marshmallow with nourishing Shea butter and apricot oil. The scent is a delicious orange blossom aroma. Not only it smells amazing, it also nourishes and softens my lips.

Another brand that really nails fruity scents is Essentiq. It’s a rather new brand on the market, so check out whether it’s available in your country. I’m showering with their green tea and lime aroma shower gel at the moment. It contains natural oils of grapefruit, orange, lemon balm and spearmint leaf, as well as extracts of green tea, thousand-leaf, lemon peel oil and organic aloe vera. Another Essentiq product that’s been making my days is the reed diffuser with lime and pear. It’s the perfect blend of the sweetness of pear and the freshness of lime, emerged with fragrances of nectarine blossom, white jasmine and nutmeg. It’s supposed to be sufficient for more than three months and covers the whole room in a delicate, amazing scent.

I’ve been obsessed with pomegranates at the moment. Not only I’ve eaten a lot of them in the past few weeks, I’ve been applying it onto my skin as well. Starting with CD shower gel and Dr. Scheller Organic Pomegranate Body Oil in the evening, while using CD deodorants during the day – they’ve got the roll-on and pump version, both smelling delicious. They don’t contain any mineral oil, silicones, parabens, artificial colours, they are vegan and aluminium free. If I had to chose one fruity beauty scent at the moment, pomegranate would definitely be my pick.

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Ajda Sitar /

featuring:
skirt by NINA MIHOCI (buy HERE)
top by NINA MIHOCI (buy HERE)
leather jacket from PENNY BLACK
poncho from PRIMARK
ankle boots from CINTI (buy HERE)
hat from NEW YORKER

curls done with BELLISSIMA RICCI&CURL
lipstick from GOLDEN ROSE (23)

photo: Domen Blenkuš

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Ajda Sitar /

november favourites beauty blog

I know it’s such a stereotypical thing to say how quickly the year has flown by, but it’s true. It feels like a week ago when I put down my Christmas tree in January and it almost feels like yesterday when we were wearing shorts. It’s officially December and this means one thing – I owe you a list of November beauty favourites.

Slovenian skincare brand 4KIDS AND US has won my heart with its unique story, minimalistic packaging with a retro vibe to it and carefully selected ingredients. I’ve been using a daily anti-age cream (with a propolis scent), balm for dry and problematic skin (which is even suitable for those with psoriasis and dermatitis), after-sun oil and anti-cellulite body milk for a few weeks now and I must say I am impressed. They really put a lot of effort and thought into this skincare brand and I am truly happy to be able to support another successful Slovenian story. The products are all completely natural and carefully put together. You can shop for their products here (use code: 4KIDS for 15% off).

Nvey Eco is an organic natural makeup brand manufactured in Australia. I haven’t tried any of their products before and after swatching them in the Seneka Organica store in the centre of Ljubljana, I came home with two of them. Moisture Rich Fluid Foundation is enriched with organic sweet almond oil, vitamin E and camomile extract, it feels and looks amazing on my skin. I picked up the shade512 Beige, which was a perfect match for me after coming back from Bali, while I will probably soon need a lighter one. Another product I would like to share with you is their Powder Blush in 959 Blushing Pink, a stunning universally flattering shade which goes great on any lipstick shade. I am eager to try out some other Nvey Eco products, because these two really made a great first impression.

Moving on to eye makeup – Avon has surprised me with some amazing products in the past month. I finally tried their famous eye shadow primer. Although I don’t have particularly oily eyelids, I’ve noticed a huge difference when wearing it. It gives a slight coverage to my eyelids, making the completion more even, while also providing eyeshadows more pigmentation and durability. When it comes to eyeshadows, I’ve been experimenting with some purple shades this month. »What? Ajda, you wear colour as well?!« Yes, you’ve read it right. I found out purple tones actually suit my green eyes nicely and a True Colour eyeshadow quad was my go-to palette, believe it or not. Adding a few coats of Big&False Lash mascara I was ready to go. Since December is »the month« for surprises, I decided to reward two of my readers with an eyeshadow quad (check below for the giveaway app).

Last, but not least – my absolute favourite of the month is the Bellissima Ricci&Curl automatic rotating curler, the easiest way to curl you hair. It’s probably the only curling product anyone can use without any special skills, the final result is natural and takes just a few minutes. I’ve been struggling with the regular wand curlers for ages, I never got the result I actually wanted (most of the time I ended up looking too done up like a doll or worse – like a sheep). My best friend Aida loves it, we managed to make our friend Gala fall in love with it as well (curls on her lob length are truly stunning, she looked chic and fashionable). I promise an extensive review (with photos) soon!

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