1 to what onyx said,
Also something to keep in mind all is in the prep, swirl removal then glaze polish... then wax/sealant ...
personally i prefer Autoglym paint renovator to swirl x / scratch x for hand applications .. from experience my experience their just to mild and effort does not equal the result...
then Ill suggest a glaze or polish .. and here my favourite is Poorboys - Blackhole show glaze dark cars or white Diamond light colors, havent really found anything thats wowed me like those two.
Then for the shine and protection it depends metallic or not ? i find the sealants work better on cars with a flake, and waxes on flatter colors . my Sealants of choice are Wolfgang Deep gloss sealant or CG m-Seal,poorboys-EX and on the wax side hands down Collinite #915.
oh almost forgot, before u go chasing the shine make sure you wash routine is sorted to keep ya finish maintained, 2 buckets Nice Wash mittno sponges Waffle weave dryers then u sorted