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.
FLOATING effortlessly on his back, this little otter laps up a rare glimmer of English spring sunshine .
SPLASHING in the water and fighting in-between rocks, these energetic tigers enjoy their fun-filled morning .
DIPPING his head into the vase of water, this little squirrel takes a refreshing break from an afternoon of eating .
The Royal Mail moggy, who is now facing eviction from the premises – MEET the Royal Mail moggy facing eviction from the sorting room by an ‘elf n’ safety diktat .
ONCE A doctor’s surgery, family home and office, an array of medical equipment is scattered throughout this abandoned home .
HOTSPOT MEDIA - BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH AR' KID: A POSTAL SORTER has perfected the art of time travel by delivering images that are from the past .
HOPPING onto the scales, these adorable baby Humboldt penguins are ready for their first weigh-in .
Swirling water and sand create amazing aerial images of river deltas across Iceland .
WITH STUNNING colours and serene scenes, these photographs capture the otherworldly beauty of the English coast .
A DARING duo take their chances and scale this spectacular 82ft frozen waterfall before it collapses .
WELCOME to the Temple of Zoom where you can “experience” sliding down a Mayan temple into shark infested waters .
A group of otters put on a show of aqua aerobics, as they raise their flippers perfectly in sync .