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.
An adorable black bear cub struggles to find the perfect spot for an afternoon nap as he wriggles around on the branch of a maple tree .
A terrified moose, trapped in a frozen lake, bobs her head above the icey water and awaits her rescue .
A woman who starved herself to look like Cheryl Cole has told how she shrunk to just under 5st 13lbs after developing anorexia .
Blonde teen Jess Stubbs has certainly got girl power - as Britain’s youngest TRUCKER .
Some will get up close and personal with Mother Nature’s deadliest animals to get the perfect shot, posing the question, what lengths will a photographer go to for that all important picture? But in this case, the question should be what depths .
IN a galaxy far, far away, this collection of stunning interstellar formations will leave you STARSTRUCK .
LOCATIONS bursting with vibrant greens and chestnut browns, these photographs capture the peaceful English countryside in all its glory .
A brave cricket takes his chances as he sits on top of this green papua tree frog .
SPLASHING around in a paddling pool, this little elephant soaks up the sunshine .
CLIMBING, falling and tugging on his weary mum, this little orangutan is up to all kinds of trouble .
BASKING in smug satisfaction, a confident squirrel gives a wink to the camera .