Almost more than the paint, good brushes, well looked after are at the top of the list. Avoid "Art and Craft" paints. These are intended for giving artistic texture, exactly the opposite to what we tend to go for.
Over the years, I have used Humbrol with very satisfactory results, BUT a few years ago they moved production to the far east, and the good reputation for quality that they had has been severely dented (complaints of lack of pigment/wrong colours/uncertain drying/uncertain finish). They have recently moved production back, no telling if quality will improve, or how long it will take before the new production starts appearing. It doesn't take long to ruin a good reputation, it takes a long time to get it back.
Names to look our for are Revell, Tamiya, Floquil, Precision Paints and several others. Oil based enamels are tough enough, acrylics generally need a coat of clear as protection.
Oil based household enamel? Some good, some not, these days manufacturers change the formulations seemingly by the week.