Penelope Cruz in Net-A-Porter's The Edit

Penelope Cruz is embracing the saying 'life begins at 40' as she approaches the milestone birthday next April.

The actress told this month's The Edit magazine that ageing doesn't frighten her because she has 'so much to look forward to'.

The mother-of-two certainly belies her years as she poses for the magazine in a number of smouldering in pictures.

Penelope has packed a lot already into her 40 years after making her film debut age 18. She was nominated for an Oscar for her part in Volver in 2007 and after being nominated again in 2009 for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, became the first Spanish actress to win the coveted award.

Alongside her acting career, she also built up a reputation as a fashion designer, collaborating with Mango and now launching her own diffusion lingerie line for Agent Provocateur with her sister, Monica.

She had a romance with Tom Cruise before marrying fellow Oscar winner Javier Bardem with whom she has her daughter and son Leo, two.

And now she has a family, the actress admitted they are her main priority.

She said: 'When you have children, your attention is put on the more important things.'

She added: 'My priority is my family. That is the way I have been raised.'

Of her underwear range, which includes bras, briefs, suspenders and baby doll dresses made using satin, tulle and lace, she said she wanted to create flattering styles for womanly figures.

She said: 'We're very proud of what we've created. Where I come from, the figure of the woman – the mother especially – is strong, powerful, respected. Her beauty is just one of her weapons.'

The collection will go on sale at stockists including Net-A-Porter.com, Selfridges, House of Fraser and John Lewis.

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(via daily mail)