We created the City Summer Edit—a cosmopolitan curation of skincare essentials that protect your skin’s barrier, refine your pores, and restore your radiance, no matter your timezone. From bio-shielding serums to blur creams that double as primers every pick is designed for the cultured commuter, the balcony romantic, the underground art girl, the rooftop DJ. This edit is less “dewy influencer” and more “Skin I know, City I own babe” These are the Angele Ammal editor picks to thrive in Rome’s heat, Amsterdam’s haze, New York’s concrete sun, or wherever your next summer weekend unfolds.
There’s something electric about summer in the city. The way the sun hits the cobblestones in Rome at golden hour. The way bicycles move like poetry through the canals of Amsterdam. The stillness of a Manhattan rooftop at 3PM, just before the skyline begins to glow. But no matter where your passport is stamped—New York, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Rome—one truth remains: urban summer is both beautiful and brutal on the skin. If you are in the city this summer visiting abroad or staying back for a summer job or internship, these are our editor picks for a city summer. It comes with barrier-protection and pore protection product recommendations.
Discover the Picks:
*Mineral SPF that doubles as a pollution shield*
Best for: Daily city commutes, rooftop lunches, and sun-drenched balconies
Why it works: Leaves no white cast and doubles as a skin-brightening primer under makeup.
Actives: SPF 50+, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid.
*Barrier-repair serums made for post-transit skin*
Best for: Skin that feels tight, reactive, or uneven after a day in the heat or subway
Why it works: Strengthens your skin’s lipid matrix and locks in hydration with zero greasiness.
Actives: Cica, Panthenol, Ceramides
*Pore-refining creams that beat the midday shine*
Best for: Midday shine, visible pores, or anyone skipping foundation in the heat
Why it works: Gives a soft-focus finish and makes makeup last longer—ideal for hot cities.
Actives: Zinc PCA, Willow Bark
Cooling mists to detox between destinations
Best for: Mid-commute refreshes, after spin class, or post-flight
Why it works: Reduces congestion and balances skin flora with every spritz.
Actives: Rose water, Moringa extract, Thermal water
*Bio-cellulose sheet masks that feel like a first-class upgrade*
Best for: Pre-event prep or Sunday recovery
Why it works: Delivers intense hydration, reduces redness, and leaves skin glassy and calm.
Actives: squalane, allantoin, and green tea
Fast living is to the city is as slow living is to the countryside. The modern woman moves through microclimates —three seasons ranging from scorching hot to freezing cold one day and microaggressive factors---sweat, stress, hard water, noise pollution etc. Your skin is exposed to it all. Your barrier? Overworked. Your pores? clogged like a city toilet. Your glow? fighting for its life. Here's what to do: protect your pores and boost your skin barrier.
You can't fight the heat, humidity, pollution, and stress which can overwhelm even the most resilient complexions but boost your barrier and protect your bores by focus on staying moisturizing and purifying your skin. In cities, we’re not just dealing with UV rays—we’re exposed to invisible aggressors: smog, dust particles, blue light, hard water, sweat, and the occasional lack of sleep. Over time, this environmental toxic cocktail depletes the skin barrier, enlarges pores, dulls radiance, and increases the risk of sensitivity or breakouts.
But here’s the good news: your skincare routine can work just as hard as you do. You just need to know thr right one for your summer routine. Then, make it a ritual for glowy sun-kissed skin this summer.
Our City Summer Skincare Edit is curated for the cosmopolitan woman who moves through time zones, urban textures, and intense climates with grace—and wants her skin to keep up. This summer, protect your pores and boost your skin barrier. Shop our catalog
Edited by the Editorial Team