Keira Knightley returns to the cover of ELLE UK - on sale now, priced just £4 - for the seventh time, in the run-up to this year's Oscars (she has been nominated), her 30th birthday, and the birth of her first baby.

Photo: Mariano Vivanco

Our favourite actress, cover star and, frankly, person was typically self-deprecating and candid on our cover shoot, where she was photographed by Mariano Vivanco in , as she is revealed as the face of the Coco Rouge line. 

'Lipstick is an armour to the world,' she told us. 'My mum had a thing when we were growing up - if she’d had a sh*t day or if something had gone wrong, she’d put her red lipstick on. I still abide by that.

'If you’re doing something hard, a really vibrant colour is a good thing. Lips are the easiest thing to put colour on. The nose doesn’t work so well – it’s a tricky look. Lips, however: quite good.'

Keira also revealed that she was never intended to be called Keira.  

'I was meant to be named "Kiera", after a Russian ice skater who was on the TV one day. My dad fancied her and nicked her name for me. But it was my mum who went to register my birth, and she accidentally spelled "ei" instead of "ie" because my mum’s crap at spelling.

'Apparently, when she came back he said: "WHAT THE F*CK? You’ve spelt her name wrong!" What were they going to do, though? Once it’s on the piece of paper, it’s on the piece of paper. And that’s me. A spelling error.'

However, Keira has always been a fan of non conformity: 'Break the rules. I’ve always hated the idea that you should be wearing this or that, because it makes me feel like I’m getting everything wrong. I hated it at school, and I don’t want it as an adult.

'If you want to wear a f*cking flowerpot on your head and that makes you happy, then wear a f*cking flowerpot on your head.'

Then she made a funny film for us. We say 'babies' and Keira says...

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The March issue of ELLE is on sale now, costing just £4. Get it in all good newsagents or order it here and get it delivered to your door.