Has anyone done these?

Even though I have a ton (literally) of salvaged granite, Mrs. Irish and I have decided that it's just not going to look right in the cabin, and we are going to DIY our own concrete counter tops. After much research into the subject it looks like we basically have 2 options:

1. Build reverse forms out of melamine, caulk the seams and pour the concrete with reinforcing mesh, let cure, flip it out, sand polish and then seal and wax.
2. Screw on hardieboard down to the tops of the cabinets, screw on the plastic bullnose forms, pour the concrete with reinforcing mesh, screed, wait, trowel with a magnesium trowel, wait, trowel with a steel trowel, let cure and then sand, polish, seal and wax.

I'm leaning towards the second option, because I think in the end it will be less work and I will have counter tops with no seams.

I figure if this chick and do it I can:

https://www.addicted2decorating.com/diy-pour-in-place-concrete-countertops-part-1.html

Hers turned out looking pretty good.

This place has the plastic snap off forms that I'm planning on using:

https://www.concretecountertopsolutions.com/product/half-bullnose

My questions are these for those who have done it:

1. Do I use crushed stone int he mix? I've seen it done with stone and with just sand.
2. Do I make the mix thick or soupy?

I'm leaning more towards just sand in the mix and no stone and making the mix about the consistency of pancake batter so it flows better. Then using a palm sander (without paper) to vibrate all the air bubbles out of it.

Here's a picture kind of what I have in mind: