I was originally going to try to hold out for longer than 100 days (I sorted my stash yesterday and found 32 mascaras...). But 100 days is a good start. I recently got foundation on sale at Ulta so I shouldn't even need to buy that (but that would be my one exception if I ran out).
I'm not counting things like deodorant or toothpaste or floss because you really can't go without those. I bought a huge UD eyelid primer over Black Friday weekend, too, and I have lots of samples from other brands, so I shouldn't need that. And I just replenished my supply of Seche Vite topcoat so I'm good there, as well.
I do not need shampoo, conditioner, body wash, hair oil, detangling spray, any lip cosmetics, blush, mascara, eyeliner, cleanser, moisturizer, body lotion, body scrubs, peels, masks, exfoliators, serum, eye cream, etc. I think I have enough toner to get through this, as well. I may or may not run out of shave gel but I have like 4 partially-used ones in my shower so I'll work through those first.
1) No new subs! And cancel at least one per month for the duration of the challenge and possibly longer. My 1 year of Glossybox runs out early next year so that one'll go. I gave myself a third Birchbox sub as a gift to get some points so that one will run out and be done (and I'll make myself let the points sit there). And I'll make a choice between Petbox and BarkBox for my dog. I'll pick at least one other to cancel as well (I'll count April as a month). I already canceled all food subs because I was eating everything as soon as it got here.
2) I'm doing the panning a palette thing, too. I love buying eyeshadow but I need to actually use the stuff. I picked Coastal Scents Revealed 2.
3) The only money I can spend at Ulta is to get my hair dyed. I do not want to go for 100 days without a touch-up or I will have light brown roots sprinkled with gray that are like 4 inches long, which would look horrid with long, black hair. (I did recently get a trim, though, so I can avoid that until summer.)
4) The only new stuff I can bring in is if I got it for free (i.e., won it in a giveaway, someone sent it to me to review on Amazon, got a free sample, etc.).
5) After 100 days, I'll re-assess. But I'm probably just going to stick with getting the essentials, if I've run out of them. I'll likely watch Ulta for sales and good GWPs so I can get the most for my money (plus I should have accumulated some points by then). I should probably set myself a monthly budget after that.
I've done OK with goals like this in the past. In 2009 I decided I was on the way to becoming an animal hoarder so I stopped getting new pets. I'm down to a more reasonable number and I only broke that resolution twice -- once when a cat walked in my back door and I couldn't find her owner (so I kept her) and once when my dog died so I got a new dog because I was really lost without a dog. So I think I can do this, too! (For me, only 2 new pets in almost 6 years is nothing short of remarkable...)
/emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" />) and I can't stop lurking makeup blogs and Sephora as if another red lipstick is somehow going to make all my money troubles go away....as if they wouldn't just add to it. Ugh. The beauty industry certainly does a number on us through its marketing huh? As someone mentioned earlier, they always make it seem like X product is going to totally change. your. life. when all it does is get thrown in a drawer with all the other crap that didn't turn you into Joan Smalls, or whichever supermodel suits your fancy, and fails to make your life so much better. 
