(InStyle.com) -- Actress Cameron Diaz talks candidly about love, guys, friends, family and charting her own course.



Sunny days and a smiling Diaz, here shot near the Malibu shore. "I'm mostly a jeans girl," she says



Casual style



Diaz doesn't strive to be taken seriously. Her style is relaxed, never more evident than with her wardrobe.



"I don't like overdone or being too put-together," she explains. "I like casual chic. Eclectic style. I want to feel like I can go anywhere, whatever I'm wearing."



Today is no exception. She's half glam, half laid-back. Her casualness comes courtesy of frayed jeans that show off her lightly tanned legs.



"I found these jeans today and was, like, 'Well hello, Abercrombie jeans!' They're really old, and I love them. I don't care that they've got holes in them."  Watch thoughts on friends and sexy poll results »



She has paired them with a simple black sweater and added a dash of glitz with a crystal-and-gold cocktail ring from Barneys. "I'm Cuban, so I'm drawn to things that sparkle. I like to use accessories to give things a bit of my own flavor."



Men



So, is Diaz dating? "I'm a woman," she says, like, Duh! "Of course I'm dating. And is that so surprising? Oh my god, she's dating!" So when you make a reported $15 million per movie, how do you make the call that someone is boyfriend material? "I trust my judgment," she says.



And though she won't divulge whom she's spending time with, she's clear on what she's looking for. "My list is all about balance. You can have smart but not funny. You can have funny but not very smart. You can have intellectual but not social. But ... I want it all!"



Not that her life has gone exactly as planned. "I thought I'd be married and have kids by the time I was 22. But when I got to 22, I realized that wasn't what I wanted, which was a huge lesson for me," she says. "Am I going to have a baby? Who knows? I don't. I'm not going to live my life looking just for that. How can I know what my future holds?" She pauses, then offers an answer: "How about this -- I am happy right now. Does that count for anything?"



Family



Diaz lives 45 minutes from her family and has always spent a great deal of time with them. She raves about her parents, crediting them with fostering her sense of humor. "They just celebrated their 39th wedding anniversary. They're just really good, cool people."



This is one woman with a well populated inner circle. Says Diaz: "I know I'll never be in a situation where I can't get to somebody for support."



That support will never be more important. Sadly, after this interview was conducted, her father, Emilio Diaz, passed away unexpectedly. In the following days, the actress released a statement on behalf of her sister and mother: "My dad was so loved by so many people, and his humor and spirit will always live in our hearts."



Two of her father's favorite groups were the ocean conservation organizations Reef Check and Surfrider. To honor her father, she has asked that donations be made to those organizations in his name.



In her interview, Diaz remembered how her dad taught a then scrawny young girl how to fight bullies in school. "He said he'd always back me up if I got in trouble. He is a good man, stand up and loyal."



Looks like that runs in the family.
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