bj1111, I make sure my lips are well moisturized before, but then wipe off excess lip balm. I use the lip liner pretty much all all over, then add Nars Cruella lip pencil-stick thingy on the outer edges and fill in with Nars Heat Wave. It makes a slight ombre effect.
The make up artist who did my makeup when I was a Maid of Honor used this combination for the wedding, and I was really impressed.
It's a lot softer on the lips feel-wise than the liquids that dry to matte. I do sometimes touch it up, but not to the extent of regular lipstick.
If I remember MAC Prep + Prime helps a lot, even with other lipsticks. I forgot to pack it for this trip. If you use the MAC stuff, you do need to wait a minute or so, before applying the color