Higher contrast vs lower contrast

Need help on deciding which one, I feel like the higher contrast one looks too processed but I'm not quite sure. I like the natural look of the less-contrasty one but I'm not quite sure if I should keep that one.

(Ignore the comparison regarding this): The more contrasty one, I did some burning and dodging to get the eye to pop out more as well as removing the nasty window glare on the neck.

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The first one is best, but it is a pity that you cannot get the eyes brighter and more detail in the nose. If you shot in RAW you might try with ARC - selective exposure brush to get more detail in the eyes and other dark areas.

I life first better as well... Then again, I'm a sucker for darker images somehow!

It looks like there's some glare in the first, contributing to a fog-like aura. You fixed it a little, but the eyes still seem to be not dark enough. I'd prefer the pupils to be as black as one perceives them.

Thanks for it all you guys, I really had to amp the contrast for both the second and the first. I was shooting through thick glass with a cheap Kenko MC UV filter attached. Pretty much why it was so foggy and glarey.