This grid is where the lip stain starts sharing with your cheeks. The e.l.f. Glossy Lip Stain in Fiery Red is the one bright liquid stain here, and it comes with the same sheer color and subtle gloss effect as the shades before it.

The So Blurreal Lip & Cheek Whip is a long-lasting mousse with an air-whipped texture that gives soft, buildable color and a blurred effect. Rose Soufflé, Afterglow, Chiffon & On and Cinna-Cloud are the four shades, and I would dab a small amount on the center of the lips with a fingertip, then blend the rest onto the cheek so the color matches.

The Sheer For It Blush Tint is a buildable, multi-use tint for cheeks and lips with a hydrating, watery texture that leaves a sheer, long-lasting stain. So Petal, Orange Crush and Pink Positive are the shades, and the watery feel makes it easier to blend than a stiff stick.

Try this: put a tint on your cheeks first, then use what is left on your fingertip on your lips. Your face ends up looking like one idea.

What I would skip: layering a mousse over a liquid stain on the same day. Two wet textures on one lip tend to blur together, so choose one.

These are the longer wearing stains from other brands, and each has its own way of getting there. HUDA BEAUTY Lip Contour in Baby Pink is a soft pink stain and liner hybrid with a dual sided felt tip, made to last 12 hours with a natural matte finish. Store it tip down. Summer Fridays Flushed Lip Stain in Slipper is a soft warm pink, made for 12HR wear with aloe vera gel and panthenol. Kulfi Lassi Lips Matte Blur Lip Stain in Noon Chai is a dusty pink that sets to a soft focus matte and lasts up to eight hours, with squalane in the formula.

Wonderskin Wonder Blading in Romance is a cool rose that works in steps: apply, wait one minute, then wipe with a damp cloth to reveal the color. It is waterproof and transfer-proof. Laka Fruity Glam Tint in 101 Joyful is a pink coral with a juicy, glossy glow, and Laka says to let it set for five minutes for transfer-proof wear. Clarins Hydrating Water Lip Stain in 01 Rose Water is a bright pink matte with kiss-proof wear. Urban Decay Lip Toy in Jam Sesh is a pH staining oil in a deep berry that smells like berry jam, and it needs two minutes to react. Dior Addict Lip Tint in 491 Natural Rosewood is a transfer-proof, semi-matte rosewood made with cherry oil.

A tip: start with clean, dry lips, since most of these stains ask for that.

What I would skip: a matte stain over lips that already feel dry. Use a balm the night before instead.

Choose by what your morning looks like. For a quick coat of color with a little shine, the e.l.f. Glossy Lip Stain is the easy one. For clean edges, a marker like Main Stain or the HUDA BEAUTY Lip Contour gives you control. For a matching face, the So Blurreal Whip or Sheer For It tint lets one product do the job of two. If you want a stain that behaves like a gloss, Urban Decay Lip Toy is the pick from the last grid. Whatever you choose, try it on a day at home first and watch how it fades. That tells you more than any swatch.