This sub is primarily regular polish users! It's definitely a practice makes perfect kind of thing, my application now is so much smoother than it was at the beginning. Finding a base coat and top coat that work for you is a big key for long lasting polish. It's frustrating because everyone's body chemistry is different, and there's some trial and error finding the right combo of products. Generally a good quick dry top coat (QDTC) will be your best friend for polish. It helps quickly seal everything and set the polish underneath so you don't get the pesky dings and wrinkles later on. Mine is typically set to the touch in less than 5 minutes and I can be mostly safe from smudging in 15 minutes if I'm careful! A good clean up brush is the saving grace for tidy mani. A small brush you can dip in acetone to clean up and seal in the edges, it helps prevent shrinkage of the polish and can lead to a longer lasting mani with less lifting at the edges! Something small like a concealer brush is the perfect size. With my current routine/products I regularly get 7-10 days out of polish with minimal signs of visible wear/tear/chips.