Paneling and Trim - caulking the baseboard

The walls and baseboard are painted but I need to caulk the baseboard. Don't really have any issue touching up the baseboard as it's white and the caulk blends in well with it but the walls are a rich deep base color. When I did the crown the caulk smeared on the wall to where I had to go over and retouch . I did not want to do that with the baseboard if at all possible.

What's the best way to get the caulking done without have to retouch the wall paint?

I've always found it best to caulk prior to painting. The caulk will adhere better if it's pushed [when you wipe] into both the wall and the trim.

If you are carefull and can lay a nice straight bead that needs little or no wiping, you can get by without touching up the wall. Use a wet/damp sponge or rag to help you remove any caulking that gets up on the wall.

Put some painters tape on the wall. After you tool the caulk peel the tape off.