That how i do mine , Trippy appently has a different approach .
i do mine really watery on the first application , then just skin it to form a film , i let that dry and hit it heavy , plus i lume from the bottom , go gravity pulls it down ...
^^^This is a really important point - the orientation of the hands matters when applying lume. Right side up and level is the right way to let the lume set. Remember, it's a viscose material, it will move while drying. If your hands are anything by level and right side up, you'll get uneven application.
Another good reason for applying the lume from the bottom is you can observe the top of the hand. As you're allowing the lume to take hold then moving it along the hand in a smooth motion, you can see if you're applying too much pressure. If you are, you'll see the lume bulging out the topside. Take advantage of the hydro-mechanical behaviors of the material and help guide it into an equilibrium on the hands. As we say in the lume-business, "Be one with the lume."
Also, the lume mix should be the consistency of brownie batter. When you mix or pick at it, you may see some of the granules but pretty quickly it settles into itself and smooths over.