Maybe mixing it too thick? in the bottle i add about an inch and a half, give a good coat that drags away over 5-10 minutes.

i have had black cars for a couple of years now so get more into the cleaning. Would like to get more into the correction side, bought a DA but need to experiment more with pads and compounds.

Normal routine for a good clean for me is

Snow foam
rinse
wash with shampoo and mit
rinse
detar with tar spot remover to rid of clumps and excess
claybar
rinse
towel dry
dress plastics to avoid polish sticking
polish
wax

I was amazed most by using a claybar, so much shite in your paint and the easy of polishing afterwards is night and day, plus the paint feels so smooth.