I bought the Pink Duo (Standard + mini) for $49.99 CAD at Winners...
I've been in the market for a new straightener that heats up to 450F. I currently own the GHD and Sedu (both are great) but wanted something that would give me awesome curls (surround heating) + smooth finish + adjusting heating up to 450.
This caught my eye because the packaging was really nice...very 'expensive' looking and it came with a mini version which is convenient and 'nice to have' and a clip.
CONS:
This sucks. It does not glide down your hair like ceramic plates should...instead it felt like the straightener kept getting 'stuck' as I straightened. The end look was very 'straw-like' and not sleek. The SMELL! This produced a plastic smell as I straightened. This is getting returned asap!
PROS:
Nice colour choices (red/pink/black), adjustable heating, heats up fast

If you're looking for something cheap to get the job done, go for this. But if you want a beautiful finish...spend $50-70 bucks more and get a Babyliss or T3!

I got this for 39.99 at Winners (the Canadian TJ Maxx, basically) with the normal flat iron and a bonus mini version for travel and small touchups and such. I rarely use the mini version, but it seems to work fine, no issues minus the handle getting a bit too warm during usage. As for the normal flat iron, hot damn, I love it. I don't really have high-maintenance hair to start out with - Asian, thus my hair is naturally straight and sleek and decently shiny - but what this magic straightener does is make it STRAIGHTER and SLEEKER and SHINIER. It's fab, I don't even have to use a shine serum with this, only heat protectant, and my hair comes out glossy and beautiful! It curls my hair excellently as well. A+ iron, especially for the price, get it now instead of spending 100+ for a CHI!

I loved how inexpensive this flat iron was. I used to work in a salon and I found that this was about the same quality as the ones we used years ago. However, there has been a lot of developments in this particular type of product since then.
I have lots of VERY fine curly blonde hair and I find that after using this, my hair is in the worst condition it has ever been in. It smells burned permanently until it gets cut off. I think the integrity of my hair has definitely been comprimised.
Not only that, but the heat dial doesn't seem to work and only stays at the highest heat. In order to do my hair I have to repeatedly turn the device off if it gets too hot and on when it's not quite warm enough.
I would not buy this again.

Before I purchased this I was using a cheap Vidal Sassoon straightener that I got for $20. It served the purpose for several years, but I wanted to upgrade. I was excited when I saw this at Winner's for $40, since it can retail for over $100.
The one I have is zebra print. It has many heat settings for any hair type and thickness. My hair has a slight wave, but I have a lot of hair and it's thick, so I usually set it at 350-400 degrees. The straightener heats up really fast, which is great.
This is a really good straightener and much better than my old one. I only have to go over each section of hair once, twice at the most, and my hair is perfectly straight. (with my old straightener I had to go over each section 3 times!). My hair stays straight until the next time I wash it, about every 2 days.
The only complaint I have about this flat iron, is that I have noticed more split ends and breakage since I started using it. If you plan on buying it, make sure you are using a heat protecting product and getting regular trims. Also, try to use it on a lower heat setting if possible.
Overall, I think this is a great product for the money and would most likely buy it again if it broke. If you are thinking of buying it, check Winners because I have seen them there several other times since I bought mine.

I have thick long hair. Very frizzy, wavy, curly and again it's THICK. I grew up with naturally silky straight hair and then as I got older it started to change. After seeing all my curly haired friends in my teenage years go through their journey of finding a decent straightener, I knew where to go for mine. I definitely remember hearing many times "did you know they have really cheap salon quality straighteners at winners? they're like 40 bucks! and they come from a salon". so, I decided to give that a shot.
I knew about all the big brands... chi and coroliss etc, but I had no idea what any of these brands were in front of me at winners. I went with a black cortex because it was only 35$ (I got a slightly smaller version... not the mini, still bigger than that) and it looked good in the package. I've been using it for almost a year now and it's been alright. I mean it's definitely a good result for the price that you pay. That is for sure. I just disagree with alot of the reviews saying it's just as good or better than one they paid over 100$ for. My hair is so thick and it is very time consuming to do a thorough straightening job with this flat iron. It heats up fast, but I let it sit for 5-10 minutes just to make sure its' VERY hot, and I still struggle with how difficult it is to do a thorough job. I find everytime i run it through a section, it takes about 5+ times of running it over before it is silky straight. And these aren't a quick "run over" either, this is like a slow drawn out one with steam coming out of my hair. With how much hair I have, it takes about 45 minutes to do a thorough job. When it's done, it looks very good. But kind of dull, and I've found that my natural waves start to show again halfway through the day. I've been borrowing friends straighteners to experiment and find one i might like more. These are all over 100$ ones bought out of a salon. I find with those types it is MUCH less work to do a thorough job. Maybe 20 minutes instead of 45 with the cortex, and my hair looks shiny afterwards and stays straight until the end of the day.
The cortex is definitely good for the price, and would probably be amazing and better than an expensive one if you don't have a thick head of hair. I mean it has been pretty good even with my thick hair. My issue is that I just really have been trying to find a quick routine in the morning, and 45 minutes to complete my hair is not good. I also dont appreciate how it gets less straight as the day goes on. So it's up to you and what you value and what you are looking for in a straightener. I'm probably going to be purchasing a biosilk soon, but this was an acceptable straightener in the meantime.

I had been using the Remmington wet 2 straight but it finally died after about 6 years (the cermaic plating had worn off) and I wanted to try something better - although I really did like the Remmington.
I picked up the hot pink duo @ TJ Maxx for around $35 because of the great reviews.. It has a 1" and a mini. I seemed like it had everything I wanted: thin enough to get my bangs, able to curl, ceramic plates, high-er end.

I have to say, I didnt think it was very good. First of all, my hair did snag on it. And the plates don't squeeze together (there is a gap) which might not be a problem if you already have somewhat straight hair, but my hair is naturally curly and I really need some pressure to straighten it. Also, it didn't get my hair very straight, even at the highest setting. It always looked like it had a body wave, which looked nice (I got a lot of compliemnts) but I want it to be able to make my hair poker straight, espcially if I am going to blast my hair with 450 degrees! My hair had a lot of static & frizz. I tried to curl with it, and the curl would not hold. The Iron gets really hot from the outside, so I needed to use a glove with it. I honestly thought my old & cheap Remington was a better was a better iron for my hair.

I actually though the mini iron was a lot better (which has no temp. control). It heats up to 400 degrees and I swear it gets hotter then the 1" turned up to the max.

I really wanted it to work, but I just doesnt get my hair very straight and doesn't make subjecting my hair to that much heat worth it.

I sounds nothing like the Ions other people re using, maybe I got a bad one?
update: I ended up returning it and picking up a Babyliss Pro Ceramic ($20 on clearance!) and I feel like it is worlds better then the cortex. The babyliss makes my hair pin straight, smooth, shiny and does not snag at all and it is much easier to curl with. Babyliss FTW! continued >>

I love this flat iron ! It makes my hair pin strait. Mine has a adorable zebra print on it. I purchased mine at winners for 50 dollars but the retail price is $95. I believe you can get them for $35 dollars at Tjmaxx.
Pros: Strait hair, glides threw easily, easy to curl hair with, optional heat choices (150to450 degrees)
Cons: Burnt Smell

I have had the pleasure of owning two of these amazing flatirons, both being the duo models that come complete with the mini iron and the hair clip. I am african american with kinky curly hair and I have not had a relaxer in a year and a half. I live in Texas which can be very humid and rough on my type of hair.
This iron is the "business"!!! No, really....I flatiron my hair once I wash and condition and it stays bone-straight and silky until I need to rewash (once weekly), edges and all.
This is the better bang for you buck as you can purchase at your local TjMaxx or Marshall for about $40.
My only issue is, the ceramic plates are VERY fragile and when you drop it once......its over (hence, the reason why I am about to be on my third set).
Just make sure you exercise extreme caution when handling this iron because the plates are very fragile.
Overall in terms of performance, I say this is an exellent product!

I bought this at winners for $50 and it came with the mini and a hair clip. I got the zebra stripped one. I like it alot. It really gets my hair nice and straight without frying it! There is also a lot less frizz. Pretty good buy for the price

I have VERY curly and frizzy hair and of course always dreamed of straight hair. I gave up on that dream since I couldn't afford a great flat iron like the "CHI" that every girl told me about when I asked them about their hair, untill I came across the cortex at TJ Maxx for about $40. With my purchase of the cortex @ TJ Maxx I also purchased a huge bottle of Biosilk silk therapy. It is all I need to achieve stick straight hair. I've had complements from everyone ranging from die hard hair straightening friends to salon professionals. I bought the Iron that was full sized and a companioned mini with a (really great) hair clip. I thought the packaging was pretty average but then again I've never purchased an expensive flat iron...but really who cares about the packaging when the product is so great?! As I mentioned I have very curly and frizzy hair plus I live in Miami and my hair will hold up beautifully for as long as I'll have it (untill my next wash). Of course I do touch-up's in the morning. Just a few tips based on my routine: wash and condition hair, then I use a Paul Mitchell deep conditioner per instructions, next I apply a heat protector and do a quick blow dry so the iron doesn't burn my wet hair, finally after ironing my hair I apply BioSilk and I am good to go! Hope this helps! =)

I found this iron along with a mini iron in a set at TJ Maxx for about $40 and they are about that much on Amazon. I wasn't expecting much since I have never heard of the name Cortex before but I figured I'd try it out anyway. Turns out that it's the best flat iron I've used so far which have been just your run of the mill flat irons from Sallys and a few dud drugstore models.

This iron does snag my hair a little but I only have to run it through my hair once which is a miracle because my hair is so friggin thick. The outside of the iron does get a little hot but it's nothing unbearable. The cord is nice and long, which is a plus. My model has adjustable heat up to 410 degrees and it heats up fast too. I really like it and plan on using it until it malfunctions.

I bought this straightener at Winners for $40, I bought it in Black. I liked the packaging and the sleek design of the straightener, and hoped it would be good for me. However after using this straightener a few times, I noticed a lot of breakage near my hairline (where I used the straightener) that was not there before. I tried using it a couple more times and noticed even more breakage throughout my hair. I have very long, strong hair and have never had that problem before. I even tried putting the heat settings lower thinking that this may have been the problem, but still this did not help. I very promptly returned this item and applied a deep conditioning mask to my hair and went back to my Le Angelique straightener I was using before, and my hair breakage immediately stopped. So I can only think it was definitely the straightener causing this breakage as nothing else in my hair routine changed, and as i said before my hair is very healthy. This is just my experience, and many girls I know have Cortex straighteners and absolutely love them, however this was just not for me and I would not purchase it again.

I am so sick and tired of purchasing 150$+ flat irons every 6-8 months because they drop or the cord snaps. My latest being the solia which pulled and snagged and made my hair look dull and fried after I spent 30+ minutes straightening it. I picked this bad boy up at my local winners because I was broke but needed a ok flat iron for a few months. total cost 39.99$. I LOVE IT. I've used many professional salon irons (chi, babyliss, solia, matrix, cricket, hot tools not to mention all the ones the hair salons use) AND "professional" drugstore irons (bedhead, remington, conair infiniti) This iron is up with the top professional Irons! I borrowed a coworkers ghd for a few days before I went and bought this one .. and i have to say - i like to cortex BETTER! why? well it has adjustable heat.. has all the same quality in the plates, made my hair look just as shiney and silky and .. well... is 1/10th of the price! I am so pleased with this flat iron I plan on buying it for my friends for gifts and bought another one for myself so I can alternate! sooo happy!.

Hi I'm new to makeup alley. I purchased this flat iron based on the reviews that I saw here and I must say, it did not disappoint.
I have type 4a natural (not chemically treated) African-Canadian hair and this iron straightened my hair beautifully. It has so much shine, and it looks like I have a relaxer in my hair . What I also like about this iron is the fact that I can get really close to the roots without fear of burning myself.
I was always skepital of the kiosks at the mall, and the heavy price tag attached. I thought to myself if I am going to buy an expensive flat iron I would buy a CHI or an FHI. I never tried them but I just heard that they were the best.
My old brand was Jibere de Paris from Sallys that I purchased over 5 years ago. I've been trying not to straighten my hair lately, but when I do I was noticing heat damage and lots hair getting snagged on the plates. Something that never happened in the first 4 years of owning it.
I've seen this brand at Winners many times but I thought because they were always there, that they weren't that good.
I was wrong. I bought the duo platinum set in the giraffe pattern and paid $49.99 for the set. (The single ones were $39.99).
I like the fact that it has so many different options. I was tempted to get the purple one. (Purple is my fav colour). But choose the giraffe for its uniqueness.
I was also attracted to the Life Time guarantee. Although it is only applicable to the US
I would highly recommend this product.
Cheers
Xquisite Elle

I have the hot pink one and it is a 1 and 1/4 inch flat iron. I got mine from TJ Maxx for $30 and it came with a 1/2" mini flat iron and a hair clip as well. Overall...I LOVE THIS FLAT IRON. It was really smooth over my hair and I only had to go over it once. It has adjustable heat settings and an off/on button. It didn't snag my hair on the ends, like most flat irons have done in the past. I used this to straighten and curl my hair and it only took going over it once. This flat iron managed to do exactly that-straighten and curl my hair all at the same time and I didn't have to use a curling iron afterwards. I am African-American and have medium-thick hair (part is permed straight and part of it is permed loosely so it isn't all the way straight). I used it with CHI 44 Iron Guard. I love the combo of the two and I am 100% happy with this flat iron. I feel like the flat iron may be safe enough to use without having a heat protectant but I wouldn't recommend it.
Another thing I love about this flat iron is it has 100% ceramic plates, which is very important. Most flat irons have just ceramic plated plates, which is really just a ceramic wrapping over a plate. What will happen overtime (which happened to me with my Jilbre flat iron) is the wrapping will wear off over time and will end up burning into your hair as you use it! It was awful so please be careful of that ladies.
I have read on other people's reviews that this flat iron is really expensive. I would look for it at TJ Maxx, Marshalls, or winners before I would spend hundreds of dollars for it from a kiosk in the mall. Again, I got mine there for $30 with a mini iron included.

Overall I give it a 4.5. I have the platinum edition 1 and 1/4 inch red flat iron. I got it for $30 and it works great. It has adjustable heat settings 140-410F. It heats up super fast, Great alternative to the more expensive brands; it works really good for the price you pay. I have thick black hair and it straightens suuuper fast. I usually won't have to go over the section twice when I am straightening.. sometimes I do though.

I got it for like $40cad, so for the price I give it a 5 star. My hair is pretty straight usually, but I decided I needed one because my long grown out bangs keep falling on my face. I have the first gen 1 1/4 inch cortex in red. I have used my friend super expensive flat iron, so obviously it wasn't as good as that. But for the price and paid, and considering it does the job well, just takes some time. I'm happy with it.

The girl at the mall tried to talk me in to this for 130$ I liked it and kept in in mind when I looked for it on ebay for only 30$. For 30 bucks, it's a great flat iron. For 130$ I don't know. Ive never paid that much for one before. I like it and use it everyother day so I would bur again.

I have the Cortex Limited Edition Skull Print Pro Flat Iron. I've been using it for about 3 months now and I have to say that I love it! I have very thick hair but 1 swipe per strand will make my hair pin straight and very smooth.

I also use it to curl my hair and my curls last all day (even through the next day when I sleep on it). My curling iron hasn't been touched since I've bought my Cortex flat iron.

The only con to this is that there is no temperature adjustment (it's set at 410 degrees F) but it's no big deal for me since I'd probably set it that high anyways.

An added bonus - it's a cute design! =)

I bought this at Winners for $30. My friend has the exact same one I bought and she paid $200 for hers so I got a sweet deal. I don't know why some people are saying there's no heat adjuster, because mine has one :S. Anyways, it's amazing, I've converted all my friends to this one (they all bought one too). It heats up super fast and it gives sleek shiny straight hair. I can curl with it too. Love this bad boy.