need help with mainlight please

Hi. Thanks for taking time to read this.
I am working right now with just my main and fill light. (Once I get that right, I have a background and hair light to work with). I have two strobes (Alien Bees) with two medium softboxes. I am using my meter- a sekonic l308, but something seems to be very wrong.

All my photos seem to have a very "passport photo" look. Very bright- too bright- with every blemish obvious and highlighted. NOT too good. And the histograms on my digital camera all show the same thing- one high peak on the left side and barely anything else.

Here's what I'm doing. I'm positioning my main about 45 degrees and 3-4 feet from my subject. I keep varying the height between the subject's height and about a foot higher, trying to get better results. I have a softbox on the light. I use my meter to get a reading of about f5.6.

I place my fill next to the camera, at about camera height. I meter that too, until I get a reading of about f2.8.

Then I meter both to get the camera reading- it seems to be about f5.6 usually.

Then I take the picture and... Nogood! Really unpleasant shots-
I'll try to describe it - the lighting from the main seems to be too harsh, too bright - making every wrinkle and blemish noticeable instead of softening them.
Obviously I'm doing something wrong, but what?
Any assistance would be most greatly appreciated. Thank you.

can you post an example? And maybe a shot of your setup?

Thanks for responding. I can't post the stuff on this computer, but as for the images- picture very overexposed, burnt out...
and my setup is like I told you.. Main with medium softbox, 45 degrees from subject, at about subject's height... Fill with medium softbox right next to camera, camera height.
Originally, I realized I had the camera and the meter's ISO setting set to different numbers, and I thought that was the problem. But once I fixed it, it did get better, but still not enough.

With digital the readings may be off just a little.
Make sure and check the basics on the light meter
Correct ISO setting?
Flash not ambient setting?

If those are allright, then close down one click on your apature and evaluate, if still too bright, close down another click until the exposure is correct.

It would be better if you posted an image

It is strange that you say it looks over exposed but the histogram is on the left - make sure you are reading the brightness histogram. The peak to the left may be a dark background or something

get am image posted and people will better be able to help you