4 minute read
Stallone
Jennifer Flavin Stallone began modeling at the age of 17 and found success both in print and on the runway. She appeared on the covers of prestigious fashion publications like Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and Harpers. Jennifer traveled the world as a top model including throughout New York, Europe, and Asia. It was at this time in her life that she developed problematic skin, specifically acne. This would directly affect Jennifer’s entrepreneurial spirit and current passion, 35 years later. Jennifer met Sylvester Stallone in July 1988 when she was 20 years old at the restaurant Nicky Blair’s on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The couple welcomed their first child, Sophia Rose, in 1996. They wed the following year. For years, Sly would tell Jennifer to always have a wedding dress packed and at the ready and would tell her, “You never know when we will get married.” In 1997, on a vacation in Europe, Sly surprised Jennifer with a spontaneous marriage in England. The civil ceremony was held at the Dorchester Hotel in London. Then the celebratory wedding was held at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. In 1998, Sly and Jennifer welcomed their daughter Sistine Rose, and finally, in 2002, Scarlet Rose was born.
Against the backdrop of a successful modeling career, meeting, dating, and marrying a world-famous, iconic movie star, and carrying and raising three amazing children, Jennifer co-founded a hugely successful skin care and beauty company Serious Skincare. In the early 1990’s, her modeling career was taking off. Unfortunately, at the same time she experienced problematic skin and adult acne. Jennifer’s battle was exasperated by the stresses that modeling can cause to the skin –makeup, travel, lighting, etc. The issues with her skin started to cost her modeling roles, and unfortunately, agencies and bookers would avoid Jennifer because of the periodic issues with her skin.
Undaunted, Jennifer tried everything available at the time. Topical solutions failed to provide the relief and would not clear her skin. She turned to dermatological expertise that provided prescription medications to help alleviate the problem. Nothing worked. A close friend at the time mentioned that there was a little salon in Santa Cruz, California that had a regimen of skincare items that were delivering results to those with adult acne. The owner of the salon had studied and then formulated a line of items to address the acne that her teenage daughter was experiencing. The first-of-its-kind regimen of treatment products was uniquely formulated with FDA-approved ingredients proven to clear acne, heal the skin, and prevent future breakouts. Jennifer contacted the owner of the salon, Lesa Stock. She ordered the regimen of Serious Skincare items over the phone. Upon receiving the products, Jennifer began to use it on her skin right away and she saw results almost immediately. In a matter of days, Jennifer’s skin was clear.
After being completely impressed with the results of using the skincare regimen, Jennifer wanted to share her find with her family and friends, and in fact, the world. She proposed a partnership with the formulator of the original topical acne products to take the brand to a larger influence. Jennifer found a manufacturer that could produce larger runs while maintaining product efficacy and then approached The Home Shopping Network (now HSN). HSN did not have a product line in the space and launched Serious Skincare with Jennifer Flavin and Lesa Stock as co-presenters. The products sold out in the first of several scheduled presentations. The new Serious Skincare was founded, with Jennifer at age 25, leading the path forward.
Over the next several years, under Jennifer’s leadership and vision, the brand grew to address a myriad of skin and beauty concerns, while maintaining its commitment to its core solutions for acne-plagued skin. The line grew to address lines, wrinkles, sagging skin, and hyperpigmentation, each of the markers of aging skin. Serious Skincare was one of the first full lines to not shame the user over aging, but to embrace and provide the tools needed for a pro-aging approach to skin health.
Over 30 years have passed since Jennifer first sat in front of the cameras at HSN and Serious Skincare remains one of the most sought-after skincare lines in the direct-to-consumer, e-commerce arena, with hundreds of thousands of customers. Jennifer’s mantra and key to success for the brand has always been “for whatever skin you’re in…”
Today, in addition to leading her loyal team at Serious Skincare (several of which have been with her since the founding of the brand), Jennifer is extraordinarily productive, making a seasoned multi-tasker appear amateur. She maintains two households, one in Southern California and one on the east coast of Florida. This spring, Jennifer will star alongside her husband and daughters in the Paramount + real-life-based show, “The Family Stallone,” a show that follows the busy lives of Jennifer, Sly, Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet in their personal and professional daily life. Jennifer is quick to point out that the show is not the typical reality show with manufactured conflict and mini dramas. She wanted “The Family Stallone” to be an honest, behind-the-curtain look at life as a Stallone.
During filming of “The Family Stallone,” the family keeps up with their normal lives. Sly is filming “Tulsa King.” Sophia is busy with her writing and co-hosting her podcast Unwaxed with sister Sistine. Sistine continues working on her screenplay, film production, and acting roles. Scarlet, the youngest, continues with her studies in college and has a recurring role in Sly’s “Tulsa King.”
Nowadays, Jennifer’s role in the family as wife and mother is more like the CEO of the Family Stallone. She uses her adept skills to manage the many moving parts of the family – all with confidence and nurturing love. All the while, Jennifer continues to lead Serious Skincare. For 2023, she has created the biggest collaboration in the brand’s history as Serious Skincare is joining forces with world-renowned plastic surgeon and anti-aging innovator, Dr. Mark Pinsky, who broke the aging code with a miraculous alternative to painful, expensive, and often unnatural looking, injectable dermal fillers. By utilizing the same exact dermal filling material used by plastic surgeons and dermatologists, he created (and patented) a true topical filler that delivers visible, measurable results that last. The topical treatments will make up Serious Skincare’s latest innovative product line.