Looks good, I prefer the 1st image. The second ones nice, but maybe the face looks too neutral. Hard to put into words correctly. Too pretty if that makes any sense. The 1st one is a little too baroque though, as you agree I think. A happy medium between the 2 would be good. I think a helmet could be good, or some sort of half mask ?
Attractive face on the mask side, scary as **** face on the actual face. Half and half bit like phantom. Just throwing ideas out there
Look forward to what you come up with Build.
Oh and the second lass looks like she's farting fire.