From the APA Standard description of the Ameraucana female:
Back: Medium length, relatively broad, slightly elevated at shoulders.
Question: which bird is slightly elevated at the shoulders? Which one slopes up from front to back?
Tail: Carried at 45 degree angle above horizontal.
Question: which bird is closest to the 45 degrees? The one has a flat back and tail carriage like a Rock.
Both are fine birds, but I do believe the one is too fluffy and the other one is just about right. A person may or may not like the color depictions in the Standard, but they are darn close to correct according to the way the Standard was written. I did not say they were perfect.
A famous Polish Breeder once said, "We are breeding chickens that have crests, not crests that have some sort of chicken attached." I had to laugh when I read that. I think we have to apply the same logic when it comes to muffs and beards in our Ameraucanas. There are almost as many judges opinions on what is correct type for Ameraucana as there are judges I suppose. It is up to us to get it right.