Hi Rachel,
Thanks for reaching out. We would love to offer some tips to help better your experience. Our nail polish remover is made with natural ingredients, so it's not as strong as acetone. However, it is still effective at removing polish completely while also leaving your nails moisturized.
You can try to soak a cotton ball in the remover and let it sit on the nail for 20-30 seconds. This will help make the polish easier to remove.
In regards to getting a dark color. Our colors are formulated to be highly pigmented and usually we recommend using 2 thin coats of polish for the vibrant results.
If you have any other questions or concerns, you can always email us at customercare@ellamila.com