I remember first reading about the "clear red" lip in Kevyn Aucoin's Making Faces, the book that quickly became - and still remains - my beauty bible.

Kevyn described the look as "super-sexy" and this is so true; a translucent red lip is fresh and sexy without being too serious. It's a fun, more playful take on the classic red lip.

You can achieve the look with a gloss or a translucent stain; check out my 5 top recommendations below, and post your own favorites in the comments!

• Lancome Juicy Gelee in Fruit Punch: The Gelees are offer the sheerest coverage of all Lancome's famous glosses. Fruit Punch is a true sheer red that's incredibly shiny and feels great on the lips. The only drawback is that the gloss tends to slide around in the pot, so it's not really portable. (The little jelly jar is so cute though, no?)



• The Body Shop Lip & Cheek Stain: a classic translucent red stain with a sponge tip applicator. One coat goes on sheer and rosy; build up for as much intensity as you like.



• Benefit Benetint: totally iconic! The product that put Benefit on the map is still a fab choice for a sheer rosy lip. As with the Body Shop stain, start sheer and build up for more intensity.



• Lancome Juicy Tubes Smoothie in Cherry on Top: Medium coverage cherry red with that amazing Juicy Tubes shine. This is a "last call" item, so pick one up while it's still around, or score one in the new Juicy Tubes Holiday Gift Set.



• Boots No. 7 Lip Glace in Sherbet: for $10 at Target, you can't beat it. Sherbet is a super-shiny, clear pinkish red shade that's easy to wear and perfect for daytime.