Check it out ... Drew sits awfully close to the lifestyle guru and asks Martha if anything makes her feel "soft and gooey" ... leaving MS a little perplexed by the question. As Martha thinks about her answer, Drew suggestively touches her mouth, prompting her guest to respond, "soft and gooey ... treatment. It's nice."

The encounter on Tuesday's show gets a bit more uncomfortable, however ... watch the video, as Drew ends up stroking Martha's arm in an attempt to get her guest to open up more.

The gesture doesn't work, though ... with a nod toward the audience, Martha pushes Drew away and tells the actress she's "the wrong gender" -- making it clear her charms are lost on her, though they both share a laugh.

This isn't the first time Drew has gotten a little too close for comfort with guests. Back in December, Drew faced backlash for getting too touchy with Oprah Winfrey ... awkwardly caressing the talk show legend's hands during the interview.

Though, Oprah later defended Drew to TMZ ... calling the "Scream" star "endearing" at the time.

Still, as fans began to keep a closer eye on her interviews moving forward, Drew vowed in August to try and put a little distance between herself and her guests.