A stain gives you color and very little else. It will not draw a line or fill a corner, and that is where a liner comes in. I like to use a pencil that is close to the stain, trace the outer edge, and let the stain do the filling.

Make Up For Ever's Artist Color Pencil is a long-lasting pencil that feels smooth enough to fill the whole mouth. Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Cheat is the classic for reshaping, and it is waterproof, so it stays where you put it. Huda Beauty's Lip Contour 2.0 is an automatic matte pencil that needs no sharpener, which suits a bag or a desk drawer. Anastasia Beverly Hills' Velvety-Matte Precision Shaping Lip Liner is sharp and exact if you want a defined outline.

Urban Decay's 24/7 Glide-On Waterproof Lip Liner slips on easily and is good for anyone who finds pencils drag. Saie's Lip Liner 101 is creamy and nourishing, the gentlest of the group and the one I would choose for dry lips.

Draw the line slightly inside the natural lip edge if you want a softer look, and slightly outside if you want a fuller one. Fill in the middle, press lips together, and only then add your tint. That small order of operations is what keeps color from bleeding.

A stain that has dried down can feel a little flat and a little dry, so the last layer is a tinted balm. It softens the finish, adds a hint of shine, and makes the color look like it belongs to you.

Laneige's Lip Glowy Balm is a light, shea butter treatment that adds a soft glow. Lancôme's Lip Idôle Squalane-12 Butterglow is more cushioned, a hydrating balm with a glossy finish. Prada's Hydrating Lip Balm with Jojoba Oil is sleek and simple, the one I keep for evenings. Yves Saint Laurent's Candy Glow Tinted Butter Balm with Maracuja Oil adds a wash of color of its own, so it can layer over a stain or stand in for one. Dior's Addict Lip Glow Balm is the sheer, glowy one for a natural flush. Glossier's Balm Dotcom is the everyday tube, a balm and skin salve that goes on lips, cuticles and dry patches.

What I would skip: a thick, sticky gloss on top of a fresh stain, because it drags the color around and makes edges blur. Wait a couple of minutes for the color to set, then press a balm on with your finger or straight from the tube, and blot any excess with a tissue. A little goes a long way, and you can always add more at lunch.

My routine takes about two minutes. Prep lips with a swipe of balm, wipe off the extra, then apply the stain and let it sink in. Trace the outline with a liner, fill in the center, and finish with a tinted balm on the middle of the mouth.

If a color grabs onto dry spots, exfoliate gently the night before and use a plain balm before bed. Keep the liner sharp, wipe the edges with a cotton swab, and carry the balm, not the stain, in your bag for touch-ups. The stain does the staying, and the balm does the softening. That split is really all there is to it.

On days when I want the color to look softer, I skip the liner entirely and press the tint on with a fingertip, starting at the center and pushing outward. On days when I want it sharper, I go the other way and outline first. Both work, and it depends on the hour, the light and how much attention I feel like paying my mouth. Keep a small mirror handy, and check the corners before you leave. Nobody minds a stain, but everybody notices the smudge beside it.