ESTEE LAUDER - COSMETICS QUEEN LAUDER DIES

Cosmetics impresario ESTEE LAUDER has died of a heart attack. She was 97.

Lauder - whose products have been endorsed by celebrities like ELIZABETH HURLEY in recent times - died late on Saturday (24APR04) at her New York home, according top her spokeswoman SALLY SUSMAN.

In 1998, Lauder made the record books when she was named in TIME magazine's listing of the 20 most influential geniuses of business of the century - because she was the only female entree.

Her company landed in 349th place in last year's (03) top 500 list of America's largest companies, clocking a revenue of $4.7 billion.

Lauder once explained of her success, "I have never worked a day in my life without selling. If I believe in something, I sell it, and I sell it hard."