Function of Vex just won a Rule Breaker Award from The Tease, and not gonna lie, we’re sitting on cloud nine.

These awards were created to honor the brands and creators who shake things up. Who ditch the safe formula. Who throw on a lab coat AND a set of press-ons to go make something weird and wildly good. The Tease editors nominated finalists across categories while readers voted for the winners.

And you picked us.

But what exactly were these awards for!?

The Rule Breaker Awards by The Tease were created to spotlight beauty brands and creatives shaking up the status quo. Editors picked the finalists, readers cast their votes, and a handful of standouts were crowned in each category. Function of Vex was named Nail Tech Trailblazers, one of just ten winners across different beauty industries like hair, nails, skincare, and pro tools. It’s a seat at the table we’re proud to hold, with fellow winners like MAC, OLAPLEX, and Dyson making up the rest of this rule-breaking class.

From our first pigment drop to our recent studio-grade formulas, we’ve always built for the artists. It’s surreal to be named alongside giants like OLAPLEX, MAC, and Dyson, but we couldn’t have had this win without our amazing community, yep, that’s you!

Your reposts, your real talk, your nail sets that go from soft blur to sculptural chaos, that’s what caught attention. You’ve turned Function of Vex from an indie experiment into a brand people watch.

Let’s dig into what the Rule Breaker Awards are, who else won, and what this moment means for the next round of pigment, education, and product you can count on.

Shall we?

What the Rule Breaker Awards Are

In 2025, The Tease launched the first-ever Rule Breaker Awards to spotlight beauty brands and creators “who dared to do things differently.” These weren’t pay-to-play trophies or industry back-pats.

They were built on community.

First, the Tease editorial team nominated brands across boundary-breaking categories like haircare, skincare, color, nail, tech, and more. Then readers and industry peers voted. Over weeks of public voting, each category was decided by the people who actually use and believe in these products.

Being chosen as a Nail Tech Trailblazer means this win came from artists, just like us.

The Winners We’re Proud to Stand Beside

The full list of winners is STACKED. Like, magazine cover stacked.

We’re talking:

MAC → Cosmetic Cosmonauts

Davines → Eco Activists

OLAPLEX → Haircare 

The Ordinary → Skin Savants

Dyson → Tool/Tech Titans

Function of Vex → Nail Tech Trailblazers (just a bunch of proud mamas over here)

Seeing our name next to legacy beauty giants and category-shapers is wild enough. But what really hits is knowing the vote came from artists, techs, and readers who actually live this life. You can flip to pages 16-17 of Tease PRINTED Vol. 2 to see the full rundown.

It’s one thing to take big swings. It’s another to know the industry’s watching… and cheering you on.

You’ll find the full spread in the digital issue of The Tease here.

How We Got Here (Artist-Built, Small Batch, Pro Feedback Loops)

We didn’t start with a budget. We didn’t have a team. We were born out of frustration with an industry that often felt inaccessible, sterile, and soulless.

So we built what we couldn’t find.

From day one, Function of Vex has been about listening more than launching. Every pigment, every pot, every brush we release is shaped by studio trials, back-and-forths in the DMs, and real-world input from artists who clock long hours and still want to create something weird and beautiful at 2am.

We test everything ourselves. We shoot every swatch in-house. Our formulas aren’t rushed, our shade names aren’t crowdsourced, and our product line isn’t bloated for the sake of trends. We keep it tight, because what you work with should feel intentional, and fun of course.

Being artist-built means the wins hit different. They come slow, steady, and honest. And when they show up? They’re shared.

This award isn’t just about what we make, it’s about how we make it. And who we make it for <3

Earning Our Keep

We don't really see winning this award as being able to sit back and relax because we've “made it.” It means the bar just got higher, and we’re good with that. We got this far by doing what we love and sticking true to who we are…so… the plan is to continue doing just that!

We’re here to keep building tools you actually want in your kit. To answer your weirdest pigment questions. To make education that sounds like a human, not a textbook. To post swatches before you even know what shade you're craving.

Here’s what this win helps fuel next:

More artist-built tools → designed with input, not assumptions.

Transparent testing notes → real data, real experiments, no smoke.

Faster education drops → because knowing how matters more than just owning the thing.

Community spotlights → shining back on the artists who shape what we make.

Continued accessibility in shade and design → no gatekeeping, no weird memberships, no product scarcity games.

We don't want to get caught up chasing scale, our plan is to stay responsive, weird, and wildly useful. Every release has to earn its place. And so do we!

Sooo watch this space, Vexie. We’re just getting started.

FAQ: Rule Breaker Awards 2025

What are The Tease Rule Breaker Awards?

An annual awards series spotlighting beauty brands and creatives who “dare to do things differently.” Editors nominate finalists, and readers vote for winners.

Why is this a big deal for a small nail brand?

Because the votes came from real artists. For us, that means this isn’t a hype trophy, it’s a community win.

Where can I see the full list of winners?

You can view the digital issue of The Tease PRINTED Vol. 2, pages 16–17, right here.

If you want to get a lil more in-depth about us and our journey, feast your eyes here, and maybe you'll discover something you didn't know about us.