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 BIGFOOT 'Jesus bird' may look silly, but he's perfectly designed for walking on water .
WELCOME to the Temple of Zoom where you can “experience” sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters .
Sprawled out on top of a log, this sleeping leopard takes a relaxing break from his daily routine .
Brave Amy, 18, has waived her anonymity to tell how she jailed rapist Philip Sims-Neighbour, 37, of Hylton Road, Worcester .
BALANCING on top of a tree, this bear cub puts her climbing skills to the test .
Vikki Jose, 26 loves nothing more than lavishing gifts on her loved ones at Christmas time .
An adorable young fallow deer peers over its shoulder and is greeted by a cheeky jackdaw crow sitting on its back .
A five-week-old newborn from Fife has become the UK’s youngest beauty pageant baby .
An adorable baby girl was born with a heart-shaped birthmark on her forehead - after being conceived on Valentine's Day .
A SPECTACULAR array of stars fills the night sky as they soar over this active volcano .
Some parents would gasp at the thought of their children playing with a toy gun, but these Russian children are actually encouraged to take up real arms .
A woman has told how her addiction to eating bath bubbles during her pregnancy was better than SEX .