The Block beauty tips: how to look good with little sleep, minimal makeup and cray-cray hair.

Watching The Block makes me quickly realise two things:

1. My home is in urgent need of renovation;

2. You can look good on little sleep wearing no makeup.

No, stop laughing, you can! And the show proves it, night after night after night. However, the rules differ radically for men and women. It might just be me but all the boys on the show look really amazingly cute all ruffled and dishevelled and sleepy. I just want to…run my fingers through their hair.

For girls, it takes a little extra effort for the cute while ruffled/dishevelled/sleep look to be achieved. These tips and tricks can be used at home on days you can’t be bothered dressing up or are planning to spend a few hours sorting through your clothes. They’re equally as useful for the school run or grocery shopping. They are life savers for those days when you JUST CAN’T BE BOTHERED, but still want to look presentable.

Add these to your arsenal. Let unkempt cuteness commence:

1. Makeup is optional.

You don’t have to wear much makeup on The Block. In fact, as Dee shows, you don’t have to wear any at all. Even if you plan to wear some – maybe a little gloss or some powder on your nose – you will become too tired to apply it and eventually due to severe stress and fatigue you won’t care how you look. And that’s the real gift of The Block…not caring how you look and just getting on with the job.

We could all do with caring a little less about how we look after all.

2. Dramatic hair.

You might find a bit of time to wash your hair. On a good day you may even get to dry it. The rest of the time, try any of these dramatic updos such as the high pony, the low pony, the messy bun, the neat bun, the messy knot and the up knot.

But, don’t be afraid to leave your hair out. Just because you are on a construction site, doesn’t mean your hair has to be safely tucked away. Plus, I’ve always found manically twisting strands of loose hair around my finger while stressed quite soothing.

3. Makeup disguises.

If you do at some stage regret your lack of makeup, all you need to do is wear a brightly coloured scarf to take the attention off your face, in the nicest possible way.
You’ll see a lot of this on nights when scores are being read out. Because most contestants have been up all night and most struggle to crack a smile.

4. Hair disguises

If you do at some stage regret your unwashed hair, all you need to do is wear a beanie to take the attention off your locks. And forget those stylish little beanies designed to be positioned on clean and shiny hair. When it comes to hiding unwashed hair, the uglier the beanie, the better. Consider borrowing one from your son. Or take a leaf out of Maxine’s book and just go for a tight, coiled pony. Wet or unwashed? Who can tell?

5. Hair straighteners save all

Who knew Maxine had naturally curly hair? Dee has a bit of a messy wave in her hair too and Carelene, well, she just has a lot of hair. So if you do have 30 seconds up your sleeve, consider running a hair straightener through your hair. Hair straighteners also come in handy to iron curtains and sheets just before reveal.

6. Champagne is better than any beauty product

Amongst all the coffee and water being consumed on The Block is a couple of precious champagne moments that are more soothing than the deepest sleep, the longest massage and the best relaxation techniques out there. On The Block champagne isn’t used to celebrate as much as it is used to sooth frayed nerves.

7. Leg massages, yes!
You will have muscle soreness and cramps so if anyone, and I mean anyone offers to give you a massage, take them up on it. You will need it because you will have cramps. Big, terrible cramps.

8. Forget finger nails, focus on toes.

Your finger nails should be ignored for the entire season because no matter how often you polish, they will be in tatters courtesy of the hard, manual labour you will be doing. So, focus on your toes. And choose a happy colour. We approve of this bright pink.

9. Sleep is optional, the spa is not.

Who cares if you haven’t slept longer than four hours in months? There’s always time for the spa and while you are there, forget The Block. Forget it. Because it will still be there waiting for you and while the builders and engineers may not understand how important having time to wax and shave your legs may be for you build and design efforts, YOU know that it’s EVERYTHING. Because when your legs are shaved and your underarms are smoothly waxed you can THINK CLEARLY. Right?

10. Try to avoid reflective surfaces.

See this face? This is the face of someone who has seen something they don’t particularly like, namely their unkempt reflection in a mirror or abandoned piece of glass. Do your best to avoid any shiny surfaces such as mirrors, glass, shiny pans and shop windows. You can fix your appearance later.

11. There’s no such thing as too much mascara.

It’s the rule of eyeliner and mascara isn’t it? It starts off the evening looking hot but by the time you get home it is decidedly not. As Dee and Carlene are helpfully demonstrating for us here. So don’t have too heavy a hand when applying eye makeup on The Block, or it might look like you’ve done a couple of rounds with Keith.

12. Cute hairclips

When is the last time you used a hairclip like this? So five years ago? We beg to differ. This style is the perfect compromise between an up do and having your hair in your face, potentially blocking your eyesight during a crucial renovation decision.

13. Facial exercises.

You won’t have time to apply any anti-ageing devices or products during your time on The Block. In fact, the process could age you. Which is why it is incredibly important to keep up your facial exercises, as Dee is demonstrating here.

Madeline Stowe from Revenge credits them with helping her stay youthful (ahhhh-botox-choo).
And don’t forget facial exercises are the best facial exercise there is.

14. Power naps.

Like having a newborn child, The Block leaves you incredibly sleep deprived which makes ‘power naps’ incredibly important. It doesn’t matter where you take your naps. Jenna and Chris have chosen their car. And I say, ‘Good decision guys’. Good decision.
This is how you win a comp like this.

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