COSMETICS

L’Oreal Increases Offer for Maybelline to $568 Million The Paris-based company’s offer of $41 a share escalates a bidding war with German company Joh. A. Benckiser, which Wednesday said it would pay $37 a share for Memphis, Tenn.-based Maybelline. Maybelline shares closed Thursday at $42.375, up $2.875 on the New York Stock Exchange. L’Oreal and Maybelline had agreed on a price of $36.75 a share in December, with L’Oreal assuming $150 million in Maybelline debts. Maybelline is the third-largest U.S. maker of beauty products, behind No. 1 Procter & Gamble Co.’s Cover Girl brands and Revlon Inc.