Let's cover sheen first.
If I were buying regal I'd go with eggshell. In Aura, the matte finish has a little bit of sheen that is really velvety looking. I've used aura matte exclusively since I tried it 2 years ago and I love the look of the finish.

I don't think you will be "out of your league" using aura if you keep a couple of things in mind.

First of all, you want to cut in the whole room and let it dry before you get out the roller. If you start in one corner and work around the room by the time you get around to where you started the cuts should be dry and ready to roll out.

Second, don't overwork the paint. Get it on the wall, get it smooth, and move on. Resist the urge to overpaint.

Last, plan on two coats for the best durability.

Use this home office as your trial for Aura and I don't think you will go back. Good luck!

My DH and I are not the best of painters, nor do we paint/re-paint very often, and we painted with Aura without problems. We painted our (small) guest bathroom by ourselves, first time ever using Aura, and it came out great.

We cut-in all around the room first, as directed, and the paint was dry, and ready to be rolled by the time we finished cutting-in. Since it dries quickly, it's important to check over small-ish sections at a time, to catch and roll out any drips before they dry. That's about it as far as "being careful."

It's advised to roll the paint on, and leave it (not to roll over the paint once it starts to set-up), but you do have some time to roll over the area (e.g. in different directions) to ensure good coverage without the paint on the wall mucking up. I wouldn't let it really start to dry and then futz with it though. At that point you're better off getting it with the second coat.

Use a good quality/thickness roller cover, and make sure you use the same roller (type) for any future touch-ups, as it's the texture change you'd notice from the touch-up, not the paint itself (at leaast, in our experience).

FWIW, we used the Aura Matte finish in that bathroom (they've since come out with a bathroom version--better for humid environments), in our "office," and throughout our upstairs (those were painted by a contractor friend--too large a job for us to tackle at the time). The finish/sheen looks gorgeous and it scrubs beautifully--really. I've scrubbed the walls along our staircase and in the hallway a number of times (white walls and two klutzes--bad combo!), and you'd never know where I've scrubbed.

We used the Satin finish for the base molding (Aura doesn't come in Pearl finish), and it scrubs well also.

HTH!

DD2 bought a new home recently, which DH painted. He went on and on about how he loved the way the Aura eggshell paint we picked out for the walls went on and covered. (Hasn't done the trim yet.)

TRk65, thanks for the wonderful tips! So, you think Aura is still the way to go, even if I'm not a pro! Great! Appreciate the prompt reply!!

Catmom, thank you for your great tips. Your rooms sound like they turned out very nice. It really helps to hear about your experience.

Bee, thanks! Sounds great! Thanks for your response.

O.k. that's it! I'm going with Aura. You ladies have convinced me it's the way to go. Will follow your helpful hints & know it'll be great. I'll use the matte, since y'all seem to be saying that even that has a very slight sheen. Sounds perfect!

Thanks so much ladies!! Y'all were a huge help!

Allison, just missed you! Sounds like Aura is really the best choice! Thanks!