So I got it to work, finally.
I had them polished sky blue by a professional with regular polish, not gel. Came home put a coat of Sally Hansen Miracle Gel top coat, cured until sticky, like 30 seconds, then dabbed it on lightly with the applicator. I dusted off the excess, cured it for another 30 seconds then rubbed it in. I added another top coat, cured for 60 seconds and the results were good. This was my 3rd try, and I still feel there is room for improvement but I'm overall happy.
Rating: 4 stars