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.
A woman branded the Jolly Green Giant by SOLE-crushing school bullies for her whopping size nine feet has had the last laugh by opening a shoe shop for big footed girls .
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 .
A diver attempts to control rising numbers of lionfish by feeding the venomous species to Caribbean reef sharks .
ROLLING around in the snow, these young brown bears take a break from their play fight to share a tender hug with one another .
When Kylie Holgate discovered her fiancé was having an affair, her world came crashing down .
A woman who left a fellow nightclubber needing plastic surgery after savagely biting her on the hand because she was hungry, has been spared prison .
RACING down the slopes in her tiny ski gear, this TWO-YEAR-OLD girl has already mastered the art of skiing .
SLEEPING within touching distance of wild African animals might not be everyone's idea of a relaxing break .
A couple from Bristol have told that they are often mistaken for father and daughter because of their huge 36 year age gap .
BLOWING bubbles underwater, this adorable polar bear slides into his tank for a playful dip .
football club has scored an own goal after it had to embarrassingly rename its stadium in honour of the DEVIL .