Jessica Alba remains one of the sexiest women in Hollywood, but she didn't always embrace her femininity.
The 34-year-old graces the cover of Cosmopolitan's March 2016 issue, sporting a red blazer and matching pants and bra that shows off her cleavage, highlighted by a lariat necklace. She also appears in two more sexy photos shot for the magazine, wearing a navy crop top and matching bottoms and a blazer, as well as a white cleavage-baring top with black lace-up trimming. The issue hits newsstands on Feb. 9.
"Most of my life, I identified more with my masculine side," Alba told Cosmopolitan. "I was kind of aggressive and super masculine in my early 20s—even into my mid- 20s. I got boobs when I was young...and I was like, 'What do I do?'"
"I was never the girl who they marketed," she said. "I was always feeling angry, like an impostor. I learned how to be cool with the feminine later in life."
Alba rose to fame in the '90s, starring on shows such as The Secret Life of Alex Mack and Flipper and movies such as Never Been Kissed. Her breakout role came several years later, when she was in her late teens and early '20s, playing the main star of James Cameron's series Dark Angel.
Alba told Cosmopolitan she always wanted to be a "big action star, to be as relevant as men."
She was later cast as the lead of the now-cult film Honey and also played bombshell roles in the Sin City and Fantastic Four movies.
Last year, she joined Taylor Swift's sexy squad in the singer's "Bad Blood" music video and played herself in the movie adaptation of Entourage.
In recent years, she has been playing a different role—businesswoman. Alba is the co-founder of the Honest Company, from which she makes the majority of her money. She owns between 15 and 20 percent of the firm, which offers eco-friendly products, including baby items. Alba was inspired to start the company while pregnant with her and husband Cash Warren's eldest child, Honor, who is now 7. They are also parents to daughter Haven, 4.
"I'm in a man's world in business," Alba told Cosmopolitan.
She said when male coworkers question her in meetings, she tells them to go home and ask their wife about it.
"When we were talking about package designs, I was like, 'Are you really giving me notes on packaging for feminine care? I literally can't with you,'" the actress said.
Alba will soon return to the small screen and will showcase her business expertise; She is set to compete on the new season of NBC's The Celebrity Apprentice.
The actress also talked to the magazine about equal pay for women, mentioning by name Jennifer Lawrence, who had in October made headlines with an op-ed titled, "Why Do I Make Less Than My Co-Stars," published in Lena Dunham's Lenny Letter newsletter.
"From day one, I was like, girls should have an equal seat at the table," Alba said.
(E! and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family.)