The Pillow Talk shade is the reason Lip Cheat exists in most people's minds, and it now comes in a few versions. Pillow Talk is a pink nude, and Pillow Talk Medium is a warm berry pink for a deeper take. Both are the same waterproof Lip Cheat formula, so you can swap one for the other without relearning the pencil.

The Charlotte Tilbury Super Nudes Lip Cheat Contour Duo is a different idea, a two-in-one pencil with a darker sculpt end and a fill end. The brand says it is formulated for all skin tones. In Fair, the sculpt is a light cool pink nude and the fill is a nude pink mauve. Tan pairs a neutral tan brown with a nude caramel. Medium pairs a neutral cool taupe with a warm sepia, and Deep pairs a rich cocoa brown with a dark chocolate. The instructions say to trace the outer edge with the sculpt end, diffuse it with a fingertip or brush, then fill from the center out.

Two more from the classic pencil: Walk of No Shame shows up again for anyone who wants a berry rose in the classic pencil, and Red Carpet Red is a cool ruby red for red lipstick that needs a sharp edge.

Pairing tip: use the Duo as a base, then dab a sheer gloss on the center of your lips so the color looks dimensional.

What I would skip: a red liner under a nude lipstick. It reads as a border, and a nude fill needs a nude edge.

Other brands make liners I like, and here is where they sit next to Lip Cheat.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Artist Color Pencil in 506 Endless Cacao is a cool taupe brown with a creamy, soft-matte texture. Haus Labs The Edge in Rich Velvet is a neutral deep espresso, transfer-proof, with a soft-matte finish. Westman Atelier Lip Shape in Je Reve is a creamy, no-tug liner that the brand says sculpts without harsh edges. rhode Peptide Lip Shape in Push is a soft neutral beige with a semi-matte finish and a built-in smudger, so you can blend it right away. Hourglass Shape & Sculpt in Expose 1 is a warm beige that is ultra-creamy and transfer-resistant.

For color, MAKEUP BY MARIO Ultra Suede Sculpting Lip Pencil in Niels is a bright neutral red with a dual end, one to draw and one to blend. Yves Saint Laurent Kiss Shaper in 104 Burning Mauve is a medium pink. BOB BEAUTE The Lipliner in Upgrade is smudge-able for about 30 seconds, then dries down, according to its product page.

Pairing tip: rhode Push under a sheer gloss gives a soft, blurred outline, while Mario Niels under a red lipstick tightens the edge.

What I would skip: a dark espresso liner like Rich Velvet with a light pink lipstick, unless you want that contrast on purpose. Blend it well or choose a lighter pencil.

Match the liner to your lipstick, or slightly deeper than your natural lip color, and it disappears. For nude and pink lipsticks, look at Pillow Talk, 90s Pink or Hot Gossip. For berry and rose, Walk of No Shame is my go-to. For browns and caramel, Foxy Brown and Hollywood Honey work with warm lipsticks. If you want fewer pencils, the Super Nudes Duo covers the outline and the fill in one tool. And when a liner from another brand catches your eye, apply it the same way: just past the lip line, filled in, and blended with a fingertip. The best lip liner is the one you forget you are wearing.