Looks just like my mother in the 90s!

 Enormously useful advice! I have something aganist using more colors, though, something that's stronger than me. I'll keep that in mind next time i'm doing something of this scale!♥

Although I do think dithering becomes more convincing the larger the scale, I should have a larger, less contrasting palette (perhaps 12 colors, or maybe even - WHOA - 16 HAHA)

Thank you very much for the kind, extensive advice. 

This piece has a major flaw despite the gorgeous pixeling: the face which should be the main focus is mostly an empty void, that the attempt at dithering doesn't alleviate. The incredible amounts of detailing in the surrounding areas only make it worse.

There's no workaround in this: if you want to pixel a human figure this large and this detailed, you've got to draw it, from life or from a ref, and it's no easy task. Using pixel tricks to suggest what you wouldn't show isn't working at this size and realism. Also limiting it to 8 colors is calling for trouble: however much I love small palettes, smooth shading on large curved soft surfaces is impossible, hence the dithering (as in my own failure here).

Dithering faces (at least in portraits) is something of a heresy: that's the area where the viewer (both in eye and soul) wants to see the most accurate detail, contrary to backgrounds and lesser areas for eye-rest.

I for one certainly couldn't do it better anyway so I have no more specific advice to offer, sorry.  The same would apply to your next piece, although it's less of a problem as it is smaller.

Also a nitpick: beware of banding.

I may not be familiar with the character but the hair piece looks out of place to me, like it is part of a background that didn't get completed. But I'm sure that for those who recognize it, it looks fitting.

The piece is well done. Just that nose... I look forward to seeing the edit.

 That was mighty helpful! Thank you! 

Agree about the nose, here is a quick and messy edit not perfect but should still give an idea

 The nose looks odd. I think it is because of the placement of the nose. Fix that and perfecto :p

I am with crozier 100% on the things he pointed out.

If you fix the nose though, this will be fantastic.

it's really nice, but the nose looks a bit weird

that is one wacky looking nose

 It's good, especially with 8 colors.  Two things though, the nose could use some work. It looks like it is closer to her left eye than her right. The dorsum does not look like it is in between the two eyes. Next thing that catches me as odd is the strange black outline on the thing on the leftside (perhaps it is a vail?). I don't really know what it is, and the black outline seems out of place.