At 41 years old, Faith Hill has her priorities straight.

The singer has finally learned how to balance her career, her family -- she and her country legend husband, Tim McGraw, have three daughters, Gracie, 12, Maggie, 10, and Audrey, 7 -- and her post-40 body.

"I actually figured it all out last summer, and it all has to do with laziness!" Hill jokes in the May issue of Redbook (on newsstands April 28). "At the end of the day, for me beauty has a lot to do with comfort and being around my family -- and most likely no makeup!"

The star, who admits that most days she only has time for a swipe of mascara and a touch of concealer, admits that she has her negative moments.

"I'm not saying I don't look in the mirror and say, 'That line wasn't there yesterday,'" says the singer, who adds that she has wrinkles and has had lines on her neck since she was a child. "But I try not to focus on that. Taking better care of myself has helped a lot -- there's this quiet confidence that comes with it."

And how does Hill -- who transformed herself to look like three of her favorite blonde icons, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot and Twiggy for the magazine -- keep her body in such great shape?

"I was aging pretty well, but I wasn't really committed to working out and eating right," the country crooner confesses. "And it's not that I diet now, but I've just become conscious of what I put into my body, because I know what I put in it is also going to show on the outside."

The Mississippi native has also learned to enjoy her favorite foods -- fried chicken and macaroni and cheese top her list -- in moderation.

"I still do cook them, but not every night like I used to," she says. "I try to stay with a lot more fresh fruits and vegetables... Once a week I'll cook a Southern comfort meal, because that's where Tim and I come from and it is truly comfort food. There's nothing like it. I mean, I'm sorry, but we will run miles for a fried pork chop!"

The star says that once she stopped making excuses, it was her choice to stay healthy.

"Once I saw the benefits of a healthier lifestyle, it just become so worth it to me, physically and psychologically," she tells Redbook.

She adds: "As I get older, I'm learning much more about how to better take care of myself and the things that do and don't work for me."