Gwyneth Paltrow beams from the cover of British Vogue's May issue, out on Thursday.

Shot by Mario Testino, the transplanted star appears with a smattering of freckles and Lady Di-style eyes, heavy on the liner and mascara.

The accompanying article is punctuated by shots of Paltrow in retro lingerie -- and by Paltrow's candid comments. She skates between work and family, depression and silent treatments, pizza and perfectionism.

And, of course, there's her body, shown off here in a 1950s-style satin bullet bra by What Katie Did and a bodysuit by Marks & Spencer Autograph.

In one shot, wearing an Hermès double-faced wool trench coat and satin lingerie, she hooks her thumbs over her the top edge of her knickers, canting forward that long, lean, buff torso. Baby belly, what's that?

Paltrow doesn't pretend it's effortless, though. Writer Christa D'Souza notes, "as Gwyneth would tell you herself, she's just as obsessed about her body as anyone else. She's known for grabbing her bottom and going, 'See this booty? It's got to go.'"

The actress credits trainer Tracy Anderson for her shape. "'I was getting boxy from all that yoga, so Tracy gave me a waist,'" she told Vogue UK. She's such a fan that she became Anderson's business partner; the two plan to open a fitness studio in London this year. (They already have one in NYC.)

Vogue also asks about Paltrow's signature pin-straight hair. While Paltrow doesn't reveal her smoothing technique for what she calls her "'frizzy Cabbage Patch doll hair,'" she claims it's not chemically processed. Does that mean she spends an hour with a blow dryer and a straightening iron, like the rest of us civilians?

The article also touches on Paltrow's upcoming movie, "Iron Man 2," her lifestyle Website, Goop.com, and her upcoming cookbook, "My Father's Daughter."

The juiciest passages, though, focus on Paltrow's family and her self-discovery. Describing herself as "'extremely skilled in the art of the silent treatment,'" she confesses, "'I don't think I've found that voice yet, to say how I really, really feel.'"

Despite such demurrals, she's frank about her post-natal depression after having her son, Moses. She told Vogue, "'at my lowest, I was a robot. I just didn't feel anything. I had no maternal feelings for him -- it was awful.'"

While she's now thoroughly enjoying family life and all the nesting that comes with it, Paltrow isn't hanging up her movie-star Louboutins just yet. She recently shot "Love Don't Let Me Down" in Nashville, playing an alcoholic country singer opposite Tim McGraw, who portrays her husband/manager.

Maybe all that big Music City hair will inspire her to branch out from her usual blond curtains....