I have always purchased my zymol stuff from Parc Ferme (
http://www.parcferme.co.uk/)
If you decide that you want to take the plunge then go for a starter kit.
This will give you everything you need for an initial treatment; a bottle of auto bathe, a bottle of HD Pre-cleanse, a tub of wax and a tub of interior treatment (for either leather or vinyl) plus HD Cleanse applicators, wax applicator and a microwipe etc.
The cost of the kits depends on the quality of wax you select. The kit with the cheapest wax (carbon) will run you just over £100.
The wax will last you for at least three years, even with regular treatments.
the other bits less so (will depend on how often you re-treat).
Having used all sorts of different gear on a number of different cars I will always now stick with Zymol. The only problem is stopping yourself from going crazy on all the other products beyond the standard starter kits - I have the sponges, buckets, wheel brushes, tyre treatement, wheel cleaner etc etc!!!
It gets expensive if you go silly!
As for aspplication, I always use my bare hands too - place a small amount in my left palm, use the fingers of my right hand to 'melt' the wax and then rub my hands/fingers directly on the paintwork. Feels odd at first, but you soon get used to it!