Wide Angle 1 Arm’s Length Wide Angle 2 Wide Angle 3
I do think that in order to really use wide angle lens to create distortion, it’s best when it’s up close; that’s what allow specific portions of the body to get morphed in the first place. In the first picture using the wide angle lens I think the facial proportions seemed to narrow out more than they did with the regular shot lens and distance.
I can’t see the wide angle distortion in your examples. For the first two, the first photo needs to be closer and the second one farther and crop in. For the second pair, you need something close to the camera and something far from the camera to compare.