She was the 18th century celebrity who made men faint in awe of her beauty by her very presence. But her beauty - and her vanity - led to her demise as the lead-based make-up she insisted on plastering on daily resulted first in the loss of her looks, then deadly blood poisoning. Now the grand 7ft mirror in which Maria Gunning, the former Countess of Coventry, admired her stunning reflection has been auctioned off for more than £300,000. Labelled the first victim of vanity, Maria died aged 27 in 1760 after her love of make-up resulted in her untimely death. The 253-year-old mirror sold well above its estimate even though her condition meant she the society hostess used it for a matter of just months. A glorious George II giltwood overmantel design, it was bought for her by her husband The Sixth Earl of Coventry in 1759, who is said to have been so frustrated by his wife's love of make up that he would chase her around the dinner table with a handkerchief, trying wipe it from her face.
THIS alien-like bug would look more at home in outer-space but it can actually be found wriggling around here on Earth .
HIDING behind its flipper, this little seal comes over a little camera shy .
SWIMMING in unison, millions of silverside fish dwarf the divers .
These photographs of extreme weather capture storms furiously rolling across the sky above America .
Commuters were put in a HOLE lot of trouble after trains were cancelled by a hole created by BADGERS .
With their guts spewing and eyes hanging out, these are the cuddly toys children might be reluctant to curl up to .
SQUEEZING their furry faces through a hole in a tree, a trio of curious baby squirrels leave their nest for the first time to explore their surroundings .
COULD this be the most distastrous wedding cake fail EVER? Most brides opt for a traditional tiered white wedding cake decorated with delicate pink roses and lace for their big day .
THIS LITTLE squirrel tries to keep himself snug as snow starts to fall around him .
While often referred to as the kings of the jungle, gorillas - for all their might - are notorious hydrophobes .
A 20st mum-of-four who was dangerously obese has lost half her body weight after her son drew her as a BLOB at school .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .