One of our favorite things about living and working in Chicago is that there’s an abundance of fun, creative people to meet and get to know. And one of the best parts about the hair envy series, in particular, is that we’re able to scour the city for fashionable women, which often leads to us becoming their biggest fans!
The case is such with the bloggers behind Kel & Kate, both of whom are just as adorable and sweet in real life as they seem on their site. It just so happened to be a bonus that they also have amazing style and product tips to share, and we’re so excited to share them all with you as well!
What’s your current occupation?:
Kate: Marketing/PR for an IT consulting company
Kel: Sales/Marketing for Park Hyatt Chicago/NoMI
How’d you get into the field, and why?:
Kate: My background was consumer based marketing and the opportunity presented itself, so I jumped at the challenge and am so glad I did!
Kel: I grew up in and around the hotel business as my parents are also in the industry. When I moved to Chicago, I knew I wanted to work for the luxury segment, and I love building and cultivating relationships and representing a truly great and luxurious product.
What are a few of your favorite Chicago hot spots?:
Kate: Violet Hour, Au Cheval, Antique Taco, Bongo Room, Gilt Bar, Summer House Santa Monica and The Pump Room
Kel: NoMI, Spacca Napoli, Violet Hour, Publican, RM Champagne, Lula Café, Longman and Eagle
Take us through your daily beauty routine:
Kate: My morning routine is pretty low-maintenance. I wash my face with Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleaner, use Aveeno moisturizer with SPF and apply Laura Mercier make-up. I wash my hair every day (I know, that’s bad) but am making it a goal to incorporate dry shampoo into my beauty regimen every other day.
Kel: I am pretty simple when it comes to this. I wash my face with Aveeno Positively Radiant and every couple days exfoliate with Carita Masque Biologiuq and then moisturize with La Mer Moisturizing Cream. Lastly, I apply Laura Mercier and Chanel makeup.
Do you have a go-to hairstyle? If so, what is it?:
Kate: My go-to hairstyle is blow drying my hair straight — really boring, which is why I love Blowtique 🙂
Kel: My hair is on the shorter end so I pretty much blow dry and straighten daily. 
How do you take care of yourself with such a busy schedule? What’s most important to you – skin, hair, body, etc?:
Kate: I always feel complete when my nails are polished, which I can’t do on my own, so I get weekly polish changes. For my hair, I take biotin daily and swear by the Kerastase heat activated deep conditioning mask. I love trying new skin products, but have found that Kiehl’s is a tried and true brand for me.
Kel: I am obsessed with getting my nails done and always feel more polished with a manicure. I exfoliate my body with Kate Somerville Exfolikate, and I also use Moroccan Oil shampoo and conditioner and it has done wonders for strength and shine. I also love to invest in a facial or massage every now and then and allow myself to truly relax when I do so.
Do you vary your look season to season? How does your routine change in the summer vs. winter?:
Kate: My personal style stays pretty consistent season to season, but is always slightly evolving to experiment with trends.
Kel: I love to incorporate trends every once in a while and just love to try something new. In the summer, I might add a small braid or pin my long bangs back. In the winter, I wear a lot of hats so I always need to keep a hairstyle that can look good when I take the hat off, too.
What are a few of the season’s best hair trends?:
Kate: The effortless knot, side swept blowout and hair turbans.
Kel: I love a good top-knot. It is easy and always looks super chic.
Biggest beauty splurges?:
Kate: Facials.
Kel: Probably my La Mer Moisturizing Cream, and I love to splurge on facials. (My top pick – NoMI Spa at Park Hyatt Chicago, HydraFacial)
What does a bad hair day look like for you?:
Kate: I usually put on a hat to conceal a bad hair day.
Kel: Hair up, low messy bun with dry shampoo
Would you rather — hair down or hair up?:
Kate: Hair down.
Kel: I really enjoy both but since I cut my hair short, I definitely wear it down a lot more.
Whose hair do you envy?:
Kate: Leighton Meester and Jessica Biel.
Kel: Olivia Palermo and Lauren Conrad
What’s a style you’d love to try at Blowtique that would be too hard to try at home?:
Kate: Anything! I am not adventurous with styling my hair.
Kel: I am always trying to add beach waves/curl into my hair. I can never seem to do it right and would love to try something that is simple, cool and chic at the same time.
For more on Kel & Kate, visit their blog, follow them on Twitter, or check out their Instagram!
Blowtique 