Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush (No. 2)

I apologize in advance for the slew of Tom Ford posts coming your way! I'm becoming a bit obsessed.  I've been coveting some Tom Ford brushes for a long time, and when I finally succumbed I decided to start with the Number 2 Cream Foundation Brush.  What appealed to me most about this brush is the short stubby head (now there is a statement you don't hear very often).

The Cream Foundation brush has short bristles that are densely compacted.  The ferrule is flattened at the tip to give a wide but short brush head.  The bristles are soft and of natural hair.  I'm no brush aficionado- I refer you to The Non Blonde for true expertise, but this is by far the softest brush I own.  The hairs are so soft and so densely packed that any foundation you decide to use with it has no choice but to be seamlessly blended into submission.

The head is firm, but does give slightly with movement.  The shape is perfect for a quick all over application and hard to get areas like around the nose and under the eyes.  Though designed for the Cream Foundation, I have used this with my liquid foundations as well and the result is flawless.  Flawless! I'm talking no brush strokes, no streaks, no nothing. The only downside (yes after all even Ryan Gossling has a downside, though I'll admit that I don't know what that is) is that because the hairs are natural I do find the brush soaks up some product.  For instance I use 2 full pumps of foundation as opposed to 1 and a half with other methods.  

In terms of cleaning, I did wash this brush already with my usual face wash method and it cleaned completely with no staining of the brush hairs.  The pictures were taken after the brush was used and cleaned once.  The shape is exactly the same as before use.  I did notice a few hairs shed the first time I used the brush with a liquid foundation, but I did not experience shedding after the first time. I'm not sure if others have experience shedding with this brush.  

This foundation brush is right up there with my Shiseido foundation brush which has been my favorite thus far.  The result is equally flawless with both brushes, but the Tom Ford brush is much softer and gentler on the skin which makes me feel more comfortable using this under my eyes.  The Tom Ford Cream Foundation Brush, like all things Tom Ford, will set you back $70.  It is an investment but with proper care should last a lifetime (this is how I justify such things).  

Do you have any Tom Ford brushes? What do you think of them?