Crayola was inspired by makeup foundation to create crayons in 24 skin tone shades
Crayola wants children all over the world to see themselves represented when they color, so the brand just created an inclusive line of crayons to help them do so. The crayon company looked to the beauty world—specifically, ever-growing shade ranges of foundation—for help to create 24 new shades designed to represent diverse skin tones. And, yes, we know they’re for kids, we kind of need the new crayons, too.
Crayola’s Colors of the World collection worked with Victor Casale, who has served as a founding partner and the chief chemist of MAC Cosmetics, the chief innovation officer and co-founder of Cover FX, and the co-founder and CEO of MOB Beauty to develop the new crayon colors. So yeah, he knows his stuff, and he has direct experience “creating some of the most diverse foundation colors,” according to Crayola’s press release.
“I have spent my life trying to create truly global shade palettes because I know what it’s like to be with a person who has finally found their exact match. They feel included and recognized, and I am hoping every child who uses these crayons and finds their shade will have that feeling,” Casale said in the release.
The 24 new Crayola shades consist of three undertones—rose, almond, and golden—with a wide range of skin tone shades from “Extra Light” to “Deepest,” similar to foundation.
The side of each box will feature a shade panel in three languages (Spanish, French, and English) to help children find their perfect match.
“Crayola hopes our new Colors of the World crayons will increase representation and foster a greater sense of belonging and acceptance,” Rich Wuerthele, Crayola CEO, shared in a press release. “We want the new Colors of the World crayons to advance inclusion within creativity and impact how kids express themselves.”
The new crayons will hit store shelves in July. You can be alerted when a 32-count crayon pack (featuring the 24 new colors plus four hair and four eye colors) is available at Walmart. For a 24-count crayon pack featuring just the new shades, you can receive product alerts from Crayola. Walmart also has a Crayola Colors of the World coloring book available for pre-order for the little ones in your life—or, you know, a relaxing quarantine activity for yourself. We won’t judge!
