The Ultimate Compound is a very good product. I do have some suggestions that took me almost a full bottle of use to figure out. Make sure the car is cool to the touch (if the car has been running, open the hood and let it cool off. The product will dry too quickly if the car is hot. Use a Clay Bar on the car first. A clay bar is one of the easiest items to use on your car and it makes it very smooth. The smoother the surface, the easier it is to apply and remove the "Compound". I cannot emphasize this enough. If you have not tried it, you really should. Meguiars and Mothers sell it. Some reviewer stated that they have seen "zebra stripes" after using the product. The Zebra stripes are caused by their fingers. Most applicators are about  -  " thick and your fingers compressing makes an uneven application, unless you truly are using the palm of your hand. The best applicator that I have found is an inexpensive car wash sponge. Not a sponge with loops, but a smooth foam surface. I placed a bead around the edge and a couple of lines in the center and used my fingers to rub it into the sponge. I then placed a line around the edge and a line in the center and applied even pressure to the car. The sponge is about 3 - 4 inches thick, it produced an even pressure and I could go over the hood very quickly. This is non-abrasive so you will not be getting swirls after using the product. Just the same use a forward backward motion instead of a swirl pattern. The more you rub back and forth, the more water spots will come off. You may want to repeat the application. I had heavy duty water spots and I found that each time I used it, it got better and better after every use. The more you use this product the better it will be. Meguiars also has some excellent "Cut Cleaners" sold in the auto paint aisle. You can use those as well, but be careful as most are abrasive. If you do use a "cut cleaner" you will have to use the "Compound" afterwards to smooth it out. Always remember that when you use the Compound, it removes everything old wax, spots, etc..  This is really a "polish" not a wax. Should you use a wax or a sealant ? Paste or liquid ? If you hate to wax your car and only want to wax it once or twice a year, then you will want to use "Nu Finish". It stinks though' smells like chemicals, but it produces a good shine and lasts a long time. If you do not mind waxing your car every 90 days and want a very good shine, then a synthetic polymer sealant, such as Meguiars NXT 2.0 is what you want to use. If you want the absolute shine and do not mind waxing every 30 days or 2 weeks, then a high quality liquid carnuba is for you. Paste waxes last longer, but are a real pain to use as they require more work to remove. Liquid waxes and sealants are very easy to use. If you are new to waxing I would go to the Meguiars NXT 2.0. Do not forget to use microfiber towels to remove; they work very well. You may want to use Meguairs Ultimate Black product to use on all black rubber trim surfaces. It works very well with a single application. Pick up a little chrome polish and finish the trim as well. Last but not least get a detail brush to remove the extra wax that goes into the crevices. It is very very easy to use. Good Luck