Okay, what am I doing wrong (re: RBL)

I used to lem RBL polishes pretty hardcore.  I'd see one I'd like, go to the site, stuff several in my cart, get pissed they were $18, get even more pissed they charged shipping charges on top of an $18 polish, and then I'd close out the window.  I always said that if Ji offered another sale, I'd pick some up.

So, true to my word, when she offered the VIP sale, I picked up, um, 10.  :|  It was technically a Christmas gift, as I used some of my Christmas money.  They get here and I'm beyond excited.  I nearly pee my pants looking in the bottles.  Unfortunately, now that I've used several, I'm more than a bit underwhelmed.  :(

The glitters are great.  Totally what I wanted.  However, the cremes I got are beyond disappointing.  I've tried Killa Red, Au Chocolat, and (as of last night) Bruised.  All three of them left me frustrated at the application, formula, brush (in the case of Killa Red), and drying time.  Last night, I woke up with smudges and sheetmarks after 2 hours of drying time and I had to remove Bruise.  Even if I don't go to bed relatively soon after application, I still have to deal with nicks and smudges.  They just take forever to dry and even a day later, they are still somewhat soft.

What am I doing wrong?  All I heard about was RBL's amazing formula.  I use Orly Calcium Shield base coat (I've learned the Dermelect BS doesn't work with RBL) and Out the Door TC.  I still have Dead Calm, Bikini Bottom, and Purple Haze to try, but I swear of these suck, too, I'm going to chalk it up to a $98.50 mistake.