Jennifer Lopez on style and beauty

We find out how the gorgeous singer and actress continues to stay in such great shape after all these years in the limelight

What is your beauty routine?

J-Lo: My routine is really basic. I don't have any crazy secrets, like sleeping upside down or whatever! I just try to take care of myself, because it's so easy to get lazy, and not cleanse your skin and not put moisturiser on before you go to bed, or not use conditioner on your hair when you can.

What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?

J-Lo: I have a shower to get that fresh, clean feeling I love, and then I put on my moisturiser. I always use lots of moisturiser.

How do you get that wonderful glow to your skin?

J-Lo: I've always taken good care of my skin. I protect it from the sun and, because it is normal to dry, I try to keep it moisturised, especially when I'm flying. To get a natural, radiant look I choose neutral shades of make-up for my lips and eyes - the more nude, the better.

What products are always in your beauty bag?

J-Lo: I usually have lip gloss in there, and perfume, mascara and moisturiser. That's about it. Oh, and I love bronzer too.

How do you keep yourself in such great shape? Do you work out every day?

J-Lo: No. I have a trainer in L.A. and I have yoga classes. When I was younger, I was into hard physical exercise, but now what's more important to me is finding a balance of mind, body and spirit. I'm very athletic, and I've been that way since I was young. I always ran and danced, and played tennis and stuff like that. I still do weights and cardio, but I try to take a soft, feminine approach. I'm definitely not fanatical.

So you have to force yourself to go to the gym?

J-Lo: Basically, I'm just like anybody else, in that you have the body type you have, and you know what you have to do to get in top form, and you know how you are when you slack off. I'm only human, and sometimes I feel like working out, and sometimes I don't. Sometimes I feel great about myself, and sometimes I think, 'Oh God, I have work to do.' It's just normal women's stuff.

What about your diet?

J-Lo: I try to watch what I eat. I know what's good for me, and I know what's bad for me, and I try to stay away from the bad things, but like anybody I indulge once in a while. If I'm trying to lose weight, I just cut carbohydrates from my diet.

Is there anything you don't like about your body?

J-Lo: I'm not mad about my ankles, which I think are too skinny, and also when I don't work out, I have an issue with my hip and thigh area, just like most women.

Would you ever consider cosmetic surgery?

J-Lo: I haven't ever had any, and I don't really see myself having any, but I'm not at that point yet, so I don't know. I don't know how I'll feel when I'm 50. Maybe I'll think: 'You've gotten a little too wrong, it's time to fix it.' But I'm more of a natural person, and I believe in beauty not being so much an outside physical thing. Luckily, I'm so used to seeing myself everywhere now that I no longer obsess about the way I look.

Actresses have always suffered from seeming to have a 'sell by' date in Hollywood. Do you worry it could all just disappear?

J-Lo: Sure. You work so hard your whole life - it's hot, hot, hot, and then it's cold. I know that day will come. Sometimes I think I'll be onto a different phase of my life by then.

Is that why you have branched out into clothing and perfume?

J-Lo: It's part of it. I'm not stupid. I would like to have some businesses that grow so I won't have to be out there on the road when I'm 44.

What do you do to relax?

J-Lo: I love spa treatments, massage and facials, although they're not something I get to do all the time. I also love to dance, to sleep, to do nothing, to be in the sun. I adore Miami. As soon as I get off the plane, my blood pressure instantly goes down, and I get into a whole different mood.

Do you ever completely let yourself go; leave your make-up on, let your nails chip...?

J-Lo: I feel like I do that more now with how busy I am. When I was a little less busy, I would take care of myself more. I would go get my manicures, my facials, because I enjoy that stuff. I'm a really 'girlie' girl. I love all that, but I just don't always have the time.

Why do you think you have such a reputation as a diva?

J-Lo: Sometimes I think it's just because I have a nice car and I'm not afraid to wear a big fur. It might be as simple as that!

You're quite a clothes fanatic. Is it hard to part with old outfits?

J-Lo: I don't get rid of anything. I keep everything. My closet is so stupid, it's ridiculous! I should get rid of things.

What is the biggest beauty mistake you ever made?

J-Lo: I haven't ever gone too crazy. One time when I needed money, I went to a hair show, where they were looking for models with long hair. I had really long hair, and they paid me about $600, some amazing amount of money at that time, to cut my hair. And they did this crazy cut, which wasn't exactly a disaster, but my reaction was like 'Oh my God!'

What would you say to women who desperately want to look like you, but aren't blessed with your genes?

J-Lo: Beauty is only skin deep. I think what's really important is finding a balance of mind, body and spirit. Somebody said to me not too long ago: 'Until you're 20, you have the face you are born with, and after that you have the face you deserve.' I really loved that - the idea that you wear who you are on your face.

You've been called one of the sexiest women in the world. What makes a woman sexy?

J-Lo: Being comfortable with who you are. People think sexy is big breasts, a curvy body, no cellulite. It's not that. Take the girl at the beach with the cellulite legs, wearing her bathing suit the way she likes it, walking with a certain air, comfortable with herself: that woman is sexy. Then you see the perfect girl who's really thin, tugging at her bathing suit, wondering how her hair looks. That's not sexy.

Do you think you've helped change Hollywood's definition of what is beautiful?

J-Lo: I hope so. It's important for all types of women to know that you don't have to fit a prototype of what one person thinks is beautiful in order to be beautiful or feel beautiful.