Chinese demand boosts L'Oreal cosmetics sales

Strong Chinese demand for luxury skin creams helped Lancome owner L'Oreal beat sales forecasts in the fourth quarter, as did a pick-up in its lagging mass market division.Like rivals including U.S.-based Estee Lauder, the French maker of Maybelline and Urban Decay make-up has thrived on strong demand from Chinese shoppers in recent years, especially for its higher-end products.Sales of L'Oreal's top-flight brands exceeded analyst expectations in the last three months of the year thanks to this m