I've never been much of a maven when it comes to skincare – I think it's got to do with the fact that I've never really experienced bad skin in my 23 years of life; no puberty-induced acne (praise the universe!) and no adulting or stressed-induced breakouts either. Honestly, the only "breakouts" I've had in the past two years are probably one or two recurring pimples here and there, but I've never had a skin issue so serious it required expert advice or a strict, prescribed skin regimen. So yes, I've been quite lucky in that area however one skin concern that's become quite prominent for me in the last five years is pigmentation – an issue that annoyingly runs in my family and one I can't seem to kick.

It's common knowledge that the sun plays a huge role in signs of pigmentation, which is why we're often told to apply a high protection sunscreen daily, as this assists in preventing further damage. But I have a makeup routine that consists of probably 20 individual products and sometimes I honestly forget about this step. Which is why I've become a junkie for SPF-infused makeup products, as I've convinced myself that these will make up for the days I forget to apply sun cream – but truthfully, they never do. And now overtime the dark spots on the sides of my face have worsened and I'm completely to blame for this.

Last month Kiehl's South Africa got in touch with me about participating in their #ChangeMySkin campaign, which will take place over the course of four weeks from 18 July to 19 August. The criteria? I maintain a consistent daily skincare routine using five of their cult products in aim to combat my issues with pigmentation and to help banish my dark circles fast.

With this campaign I'll not only get an opportunity to transform my skin, but I'll also be able to give you all full access to my Kiehl's journey. Once a week I'll upload a review on the products, providing insight on any changes my skin has experienced along the way. For those who know of Kiehl's but have been indecisive on whether to try the brand, the #ChangeMySkin campaign will provide skincare fanatics with a thorough overview of Kiehl's cult buys and hopefully by the end of it, give you all clarity on their products' capabilities. #High5toGreatSkin

Week 1 Update: Impressions So Far and Skin Changes

*Just a side note, the mini reviews below are written in the order in which I apply the products.

FIRST WEEK IMPRESSIONS

1 Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

Two factors to keep in mind about this serum:
1) It's water-based, so it's incredibly light in feel and it absorbs effortlessly into skin.
2) It contains vitamin c – a key ingredient in the correction of dark spots.

A little fun fact for skincare newbies or beginners – vitamin c is an amazing antioxidant, honestly, google it – you'll find thousands of studies and reviews affirming and attesting it as a great way to help reduce skin discolourations, particularly those caused or worsened by sun exposure. Kiehl's Dark Spot Solution not only promises to even out existing dark marks, but it also claims to prevent any 'new discolourations' from forming. Out of the entire range, this is the product I'm most excited to explore, as dark spots are my biggest concern right now. So far, there hasn't been much of a change in the appearance of the dark patches on the sides of my face and mouth, but I'm crossing fingers they'll begin to fade after week 2.

2 Powerful-Strength Line Reducing Concentrate

As of now, wrinkles aren't an issue for me, however that doesn't mean I should disregard the idea or thought of ageing skin, as it's often recommended that young women start an anti-ageing regime from as early as your mid-20s. Right now the only fine lines I have are around my mouth area – I usually refer to these as "expression lines" – and even though they aren't prominent, they do get annoying when I have makeup on. After awhile my foundation starts to fill in-between these lines, forming visible creases. So I apply this concentrate quite significantly around this area.

Texture and/or Feel

Because of the high dose of Vitamin C in it, it's said that when applied your skin may experience a warm or tingling sensation. The weird thing is that I never felt this until I applied the Midnight Recovery Concentrate or Ultra Facial Cream afterwards. Because the lines on my face are so fine, it'll probably take much longer for me to see improvement in their appearance. The one thing I love about this concentrate is that my skin immediately looks brighter and feels more supple after applying. The glycerin in the formula may be responsible for this – as this is an active ingredient that draws moisture into the skin.

3 Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Oil

Hands down, my favourite product out of the entire range. Under-eye circles are a huge problem for me – I've tried many eye creams in the past but this one is a definite winner.

The eye area is one of the most fragile areas on the face, and this is because the skin under our eyes is quite delicate when compared to the skin around our cheeks and forehead, which is relatively much thicker. The under-eye area usually requires a good amount of TLC and this cream succeeds in achieving this. It instantly replenishes the area, leaving you with a softer and brighter skin texture, and more diminished under-eye circles.

Texture

It's extremely rich and creamy, thanks to the avocado oil and shea butter found in the formula. My under-eye circles have gotten better since I began using this treatment, but they still have a long way to go.

4 Midnight Recovery Concentrate

This oil smells like an absolute dream, my goodness! It's a facial oil intended for only nighttime use to help replenish, repair and restore your skin's appearance as you sleep. The great thing about using this oil regularly is that I now wake up to soft skin every morning. In winter, my skin becomes a lot drier in texture, so I love that I now have a solution that provides persistent hydration and moisture hold for 7 hours or more.

Texture and/or Scent

This is a non-greasy, lightweight oil that feels as soft as silk and absorbs into skin easily. The scent? A beautiful blend of Lavender Essential Oil, an oil known for it's healing properties – both physical and emotional. Lavender helps reduce skin irritations and inflammations, and in aromatherapy, it's often used to relax the body and calm the mind.

5 Ultra Facial Cream

Is it weird that I always look forward to applying this to my skin? It's the texture that gets me. What makes this cream unique is that it's made to provide sufficient moisture to the skin barrier when its exposed to harsh weather conditions. So ideally, it's the perfect type of face moisturiser to use in winter time. It not only supplies a great amount of hydration but it also retains moisture. The Desert Plant Extract is responsible for it's incredible water retention properties. As you apply you this, your skin instantly feels cooler and smoother after each layer.

How my skin has changed so far...

I've definitely noticed that my skin now looks a bit brighter and feels much softer. In the no-makeup selfie images below, the bottom right image was taken a week before I began the Kiehl's challenge. When compared to the other two images (top and left), which were taken yesterday, you can see a noticeable difference in my skin's texture. It now has a soft, dewy radiance to it, which I'm really happy about, however there hasn't been a drastic change in my dark marks yet.