Trying to be a safe-tanner, but I'm in desperate need of help.

I am trying to be safe and not go sun bathing anymore (and this is becoming difficult!) I can't find just the 'right' product for me(I need to have a good/natural dark tan soon because I have prom, and graduation). I've used Loreal Sublime (its good but I don't get dark enough), Banana Boat Deep/Dark (I get darker but appear kind of orange, especially hands and feet!!), Jergens med/tan (I can't tell a difference), tried spray tan buut I think I may stay away from those. In order to get my answers I've been reading reviews online, I read how you must exfoliate before use of a self-tanner, which I did and then applied the tanner. I exfoliated then after around 3-5 days of applying the tanner only once then continued the tan until I had to exfoliate again. But for some reason my fake tan appeared blotchy, uneven and felt dry. I never really added much moisturizer though. *Sigh* So from another website I read how to fix it you need to start your tan over. I soaked in a hot bath for awhile and exfoliated really well annd shaved. My fake blotchy tan isn't gone completely. I'm worried this tan won't fix, and I won't find some self-tanner I can afford and will be dark enough and natural for me before May! PLEASE this is so important to me, can somebody help???
I heard about this product today on this video, the product was called, Xen-Tan and it sounded soooo awesome. It looked soo real too on the girls it was on. I instantly wanted to grap my hands on this product. But seeing how it is around $40 I may not be able to find it cheap. *cries*

Can somebody please help me, I wish to find a product that is safe for me so I won't go sunbathe. I used to tan so much, in beds and outside. I need to stop. Please, I need a really good, natural looking self-tanner.