So I tried the johnsons holiday skin last summer and it was shit and streaky, but kind of the colour I was after, so thats a bit gutting. I then tried about 10 other self tans but woe, my dry skin means i'm going to forever have an uneven, patchy tan despite however much exfoliating and moisturising I do. So I thought perhaps bronzers (the ones that just wash off afterwards) are the way forward. I thought I'd start off cheap and get the Rimmel one but it mings, its way too dark.
So I need recommendations, bearing in mind I'm SERIOUSLY PALE and anything other than a slight sandy gold colour looks unnatural, as I'm a redhead and everyone knows redheads can't tan. But my college ball is on Sunday and I'm wearing a gorgeous dress with silver heels, and the white legs really do spoil it all.

well honestly, im pale and refuse to bake in the sun
ive tried many self tanners and

theres nothing worse than looking fake
if your serioously pale you have to reconsile with the fact that you arent going to look like the tan you probably envision

if you want to try a cheap alternative try a lotion like nuetrogena or jergens glow in fair because it allows you to build a tan while moisturizing but you will not be dark from this you will simply look healthy but uyou can build on this gllow by brushing on a nice powder self tanner in a light color---stay away from powder with mica in it because its way to glittery and fake

if you have given up on drugstore remedies than suck it up and prepare to shell out some loot. Dior or Clarins is probably one of the best two self tanners out there...they have gel formulas so you can see where its absorbing so that you can avoid streaks....also less is more apply a thin coat wait a few hours if you are sill too light apply another thin coat...

avoid your feet and hands

apply the thinnest layer ever to your elbows and knees

if you are still wicked pale invest in a little highlighting gel/powder to put on your legs

honestly i get the most compliments when i go natural with a bit of shimmer
and im as white as it gets--im practically luminous

I kind of like the fake tan look. I feel it warms up my skintone. Plus, natural tans give uneven color and (on me) more freckles, so I'd rather not look like I actually do after I've been in the sun.

I've tried some of the l'oreal fake tans plus bronzers and they're not that great. The face one left me the color of a cardboard box and was far too dark even though I was much tanner than usual and had been out by the pool for hours most days for a week (I lived in a hotel at the time). The body one wasn't quite as strong but it still looked bad. The tans looked great on my already-tan skin, they evened me out and warmed me up and made me a bit darker (they don't look so great on winter-pale skin however). I just had to use them when I didn't have to be anywhere so I could wash off the bronzer after the tan was done.

For face bronzers, I've never mastered them, but from what I hear at MUA, Cargo makes great ones.

If you want to use a lotion-tanner (which I recommend trying), try Hawaiian Tropic Island Glow. I've used it and it's much better than natural glow. Natural glow for light skin didn't actually change my coloring, but somehow some of the tan still rubbed off on my swimsuit. The Hawaiian Tropic I've used for two days and I'm already a lot darker, and it's more even than "real" tanners I've used.