Having started her career with modelling and being the poster child for top brands like Maheen Khan’s Gulabo, Areeba Habib made her acting debut in 2018 with drama serial Koi Chand Rakh, alongside Ayeza Khan, Imran Abbas and Muneeb Butt.

Besides modelling and acting, Areeba launched her eponymous fashion label, Areeba Habib Clothing, last year. Currently she can be seen in drama serial Jalan, which features veteran actor Mohammad Ahmed, Emmad Irfani and Minal Khan among others.

We caught up with Areeba to know more about her beauty rituals and the secret behind her smooth, glowing skin…

Skincare regime

Areeba shares that her morning regime is very simple as compared to her night time skincare routine. “In the morning, I just put on my sun block and I apply hyaluronic acid by any brand. My night time regime is quite different; before going to bed I massage my face with a face roller and then there is a toner by The Ordinary that I use as well as my night cream,” she reveals.

As far as the secret to her smooth skin is concerned, she says that she applies a homemade mask – made of honey mixed with lemon, a little turmeric and 2 to 3 drops of milk - once or twice a week. “At times I add a little coffee in this mixture as well. I make a paste and apply it on my skin for almost 15 minutes and then rinse it off. This keeps my skin fresh and glowing. I would advise everyone to use this at least once a week and see the magic.”

She further went on to say that she is very fond of desi totkas mainly because they don’t harm the skin and are also not expensive. “I’m obsessed with homemade remedies. Thanks to quarantine, I tried many totkas and pampered myself during that time.”

Another homemade face scrub that Areeba uses once a week is made of some brown sugar, olive oil, coffee and a teaspoon of honey. “Make it into a thick paste and massage it on your face gently, in circular motion. Do it once a week and you will definitely feel the difference,” she adds.

Tress talk

“My hair used to be really beautiful and healthy, but since I have joined the entertainment industry, my hair has become quite damaged due to excessive dyeing,” Areeba says. “I have fine hair and I think aloe vera is the best thing ever. I make sure to apply a hair mask made of aloe vera gel, some honey and glycerine. I grind all the ingredients in a blender and apply the mixture to my hair. Then I wrap a towel around it and leave it for at least 35 minutes to one hour,” she says, adding that it works wonders for her hair.

According to the Jalan actress, she applies the remaining aloe mixture to her face after adding a few drops of lemon and washes it off after 15 minutes.

Signature beauty look

Areeba says that she is not a big fan of makeup so she tries to stay away from applying cosmetics when she is not shooting. “I only apply a little concealer, blush and my ‘multipurpose’ tint on lips, cheeks and eyes and shape my eyebrows and I am done with my makeup. Even for my interviews I do my own makeup, which is very natural and fresh,” she asserts.

On what her signature beauty look is, she reveals, “As I said, I am not fond of too much makeup, so it is hands down the no-makeup look and inward blow dried hair.”

Areeba’s makeup essentials…

“My absolute favourite these days is a lip shiner by Dior; you will find it in all of my bags. Apart from that I am in love with a red lip colour by Huda Beauty; I use it on my lips, eyes and cheeks and my makeup is done,” she shares, adding that the beauty products that she can’t live without are her night cream and Dior lip shiner.

As for her favourite cosmetic brands, Areeba says that it has to be Chanel and Dior. “Also recently I have fallen in love with Charlotte Tillbury makeup products,” she adds.

Beauty trends

Speaking of her favourite beauty trends, the model and actress shares, “I really like the monochrome trend these days. Also, the no-makeup look is my absolute favourite. I believe that too much makeup looks fake so for me, natural is the way to go.”

One trend that is a big no for Areeba and she might never go for is dark, smokey, glittery eyes. She believes that adding a pop of colour on your lips is enough to make you stand out.

Tips and tricks

“If you are an eyeliner and mascara person, you very well know that when it’s wet it tends to leave black marks on your upper or lower eye. So a makeup tip that I have learnt is to let your eyeliner or mascara dry out first. If there are some black spots here and there, take a q-tip and dip it in your makeup remover; just press it on the spot and gently remove it,” she informs.

Another tip that Areeba swears by is to spritz rose water after you have done your makeup – but make sure to do this before applying your mascara. “Your makeup will look fresh and will give you a natural glow.”