Best car detailing products for a shiny finish

Start with Meguiar's Ultimate Polish — a light polish is what actually creates gloss: it smooths the fine swirls and haze that make paint look dull, so everything you put on top looks wetter. Work it in by hand or with a DA pad, then wipe off.

Then pick your protection by how much time you'll spend:

• Collinite 845 Insulator Wax — the classic for a deep, hard, long-lasting shine; thin coats, buffs off easily.
• Cerakote Platinum Rapid Ceramic Paint Sealant Kit — the modern route: slicker, glossier and lasts longer than wax, and it's a one-step kit.
• Turtle Wax 1-Step Spray Wax — for a quick top-up after a wash when you want shine in minutes, not hours.
• Collinite All In — a polish-and-protect in one for a single pass on a car that's already in decent shape.

Wash first with a pH-neutral foam (Collinite Foamr is a good one) and dry with a plush towel — most dullness comes from washing, not from the products.