Gwen Stefani covers the April issue of Elle UK. Her close friend, Garbage singer Shirley Manson, sat down with the gorgeous starlet for a special interview in which Gwen talks about her toned body, makeup, her plans for L.A.M.B, but also about marriage and what motivates her. Take a glimpse at some snippets from the interview.

Gwen Stefani strikes a pose on the cover of Elle UK April 2011. The beautiful 41-year-old singer, designer and the new face of L'Oréal Paris, sits for a talk with her best friend Shirley Manson whom she met in the early 1990s. The two chat about how Gwen manages to stay in shape and her workout schedule, her fashion line, makeup, but also about marriage and what drives her. On this last issue, she told the magazine that passion is her best motivation. "I think of myself as really lazy. My ideal day would be to never get out of bed. No one can force me to do something unless I'm passionate about it," she says.

Gwen, who is also a fashion designer, talks about her collection L.A.M.B. "I’m not even close to being where I want it to be yet. [Fashion] is very, very hard to do well, but I’m learning. I’m getting to the point where the last collection we did was a disaster until two weeks before – I had to fly to Montreal and review the whole collection – and it ended up being one of the most cohesive collections we’d ever done," Gwen told Elle.

Having one of the hottest figures in the business, Gwen reveals for Elle some of her secrets that help her maintain a toned body. "It's a daily struggle. I work out five days a week. I can't imagine not doing it," she admits. Stefani also added that she would love to have no restrictions whatsoever. "I’d like to have no rules and eat what I want, but I’ve learned over the years that I’m so disappointed when I can’t wear the clothes I want to wear."

It is well-known the fact that Gwen Stefani has always been extremely careful about the way she used her body. "There are certain artists I think I like, but then all of a sudden the clothes come off and I’m like, 'What are you talking about? You’ve gotta save that!' I have this real masculine-feminine thing; I’m not really that sexy – I get all made up and then I like to be a tough girl. I didn’t even wear high heels till I was in my thirties! To me, [stripping off] is so boring. Not to say that I don’t think a sexy picture can’t be beautiful," she says.

In the interview for the UK edition of Elle magazine, Gwen confesses she wears makeup every day. 'I wear make-up every single day; I like to wear make-up for Gavin and I don’t feel energised till I’ve put it on, then I’m ready to go."

When asked about her favorite video outfit, Gwen says: "I love the older stuff – the polka-dot dress in Don’t Speak. I’d had it for years before I wore it in the video. I’d bought it on the road and it had this musty smell that you couldn’t get rid of. And I love the tennis bra in Just a Girl – I get sentimental about those clothes," she admits.

Gwen knows how to harmoniously balance career and a happy family life. She married British grunge musician Gavin Rossdale in 2002 and they have two young sons. Speaking about their marriage, Gwen says: "I've been with Gavin for 14 years, and, let's face it, that is a huge accomplishment. I feel so proud of that – it hasn't been the easiest journey."

Photos courtesy of Elle UK