Here are a few short horror stories for you:

Battling with dry lips, stubbing your toe, missing out on TayTay tickets, going to get a TimTam and someone has left the empty packet in the cupboard. Shudder.

Sadly, I cannot do much about the uncontrollable nature of missed tickets, stubbed toes and phantom TimTams - but in my role in the marketing team at AB, I do get to try and test a lot of fabulous products so I can offer some advice on how I deal with those pesky dry lips!

Editor's Note: Laura is far too sweet and modest to say that the entire Adore team is obsessed with her lip routine, hence our asking her to share it with all of you, STAT.

What Causes Lip Dryness?

Dry lips can often be caused by cold and dry weather (Hello, Aussie winter!) dehydration or sun exposure.

So as the best first step make sure you keep yourself hydrated by drinking plenty of water and remember your lips in your daily SPF applications.

Unfortunately, weather is another uncontrollable - BUT I combat it with the right lip care.

I have a dry skin type and have created a hydrating lip routine to go along with my hydrating skin routine to make sure my whole face is *moisturised* and *unbothered*.

Step 1. Prep and Hydrate.

Sleep can be the time when our lips dry out the most, so protecting them at night is key to hydrating your lips.

My night lip care starts with a lip sleeping mask; my favourite is the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask.

Why it’s in my routine:

• Comes in lots of flavours and a generous size that lasts months.

• It leaves my lips feeling plump and moisturised in the morning.

• It can also be worn anytime! I also like to wear it as a glossy look over a lip tint during the day.

If you would prefer something unflavoured, I also love my trusty multi-purpose Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream for a lip mask. It’s only got 5 ingredients and is a lifesaver for dry skin all over the body!

Step 2. Exfoliate.

In the morning as part of my skincare routine, I like to prep my lips for the day by lightly exfoliating them with the Benefit Pore Care Cleansing Wand.

Why it’s in my routine:

• This tool helps to lightly remove any flaky skin on my lips.

• You can apply whatever pressure you need to lightly exfoliate.

• It gives my lips a little flush of colour and a plump after use which is a nice natural look followed by applying lip balm.

• It’s silicone, so it’s easy to wash and I find that it's the perfect texture to use on my lips without being too harsh on the sensitive skin.

Step 3. Upkeep.

During the day you’ll breathe, talk and maybe drink multiple caffeinated beverages and that all adds to what can dry out your lips.

I find keeping a lip balm handy on me is key to maintaining lip hydration from morning to night.

Some of my go-to lip balms:

• La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Levres Lips Repairing Lip Balm - Very nourishing and great for sensitive or damaged lips.

• Ultra Violette Sheen Screen SPF50 Lip Balm - Comes in four pretty shades and provides important SPF for the lips.

• Lanolips 101 Ointment Multi-balm - Peach - Lanolips are the GOAT for lip care and this balm is delicious, hydrating and has a lovely, shiny finish.

Step 4. Plump It Up!

If I’m transitioning from moisturised lip prep to putting some makeup on my lips, I love to prep my lips with a plumping gloss to add a little va va voom.

I apply it to my lips while I’m doing my complexion and eye makeup - and when it’s time to do my lips, they’re all tingly and full of colour.

My long-time favourite is the BARRY M That's Swell XXL Lip Plumping Gloss.

Why it’s in my routine:

• Beautiful on its own or as an extra plump and sparkle to the lips to create the perfect base for lip colour.

• Comes in a variety of colours .

• Very affordable price point.

Step 5. Lip Looks.

When my lips are hydrated, I feel more inspired to apply a lip look.

Something I’ve discovered since working in beauty is that lip looks go far beyond lipsticks!

I don’t think you need lipstick in every colour, but just like a wardrobe, I’ve found my favourites and have just bought different products and finishes in those key colours.

For me, that's pretty much a deep pink tone nude, a bright red and an orange-based red as the shades I go for.

My makeup bag contains lip liners, lip tints, lip oils, lip glosses and lipsticks in those shades - and I can combine them and mix them up to create different looks to match outfits and occasions.

Here are some of my favourite lip products:

• MAKE UP FOR EVER Limited Edition Artist Color Pencil Set - Contains 5 pencils that can be used on both the lips and eyes! They don’t tug on the skin and apply like butter over the lips and lids. For a matte lip look, I like to line my lips, and then fill them all in with the pencil.

• Benefit Playtint Lip & Cheek Tint - Another multi-use hero, I like to apply by blending this on my cheeks and lips for a blushed and romantic look. This tint also goes on wet and dries down, so great for colour if you want something light on your lips if they’re feeling dry.

• Clarins Lip Comfort Oil - This lip oil feels soft and luxurious on the lips and provides a swipe of colour and hydration in one. I like to line my lips with a pencil and then bleed it out with a kiss of this oil for a wet-look lip.

• Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick - This one is a little bougie, but it’s quickly become a favourite lip product. Don’t be fooled by the colour range - these shades really do look different on everyone and the glossy finish is thick without being tacky and stays on between applications.

• M.A.C Cosmetics Matte Lipstick in 'Taupe' - This shade of classic MAC Lippy is my go-to winter nude as it's a little more cool-toned. I like this as a workday pick because it doesn't bleed when I’m eating and drinking and re-applies on the go without too much effort.

For more on lip care and products for your pout, check out these Beauty IQs:

• Here’s How to Create the Viral ‘Cherry Cola Lips’ Trend All Over Your TikTok Feed

• Beautytok: A Beauty Editor Shares 3 of the Best Lip Combos for Winter

• M.A.C Cosmetics Locked Kiss Ink Is One of the Best Long-Lasting Lipsticks We’ve Ever Tried