The intent of the regualation is clear. Nobody has ever been violated for lack of currency because the FAA went back and checked weather reports, or questioned crewmembers if their compadre stayed on the gages until DH.
The administrator isn't trying to trap anybody. The intent of the regulation is to fly an approach be reference to instruments, period. This may be done in simulated, or actual conditions. It may be done in a simulator. The regulation doesn't require that a view limiting device be worn, that a certain type of cloud or smoke be present, or any other specific stipulation of how to qualify the conditions. If you break out, continue through the approach to minimums and land.
The approach must be conducted to minimums, or in other words, you must fly the approach, not just a small portion of it. The intent here, or the spirit of the law, is to proficiency. It's a weak spirit; six approaches in six months is hardly enough to stay proficient. However, it's the basic minimum; a standard established just as practical test standards are a minimum, 90 day currency is a minimum, and medical certification is a minimum.
14 CFR was intentionally written to be interpreted. The interpretation isn't left to the certificate holder. Legal interpretations are issued by the Administrator's Legal Counsel. These are available. Again, this was covered at length in the previous thread in the FAR forum. The FAA didn't establish what is in the CFR; it was established long before, and was mandated and created by congress. It was intended to be a loose guideline which permitted the administrator to conduct the mission of the FAA, and so it is. It is one of the smallest and most concise sections of federal regulation, and believe it or not, perhaps the easiest to understand. (Try diving into the tax code some time).
You don't need to be in instrument conditions at the FAF. You need to be flying by reference to instruments. This is an important distinction. Frequently an approach will be in visual conditions at the beginning, but may be descending into an obscuring layer, dust, smoke, fog, a black hole condition, etc. These may often be the most challenging of all. So long as the approach is conducted by reference to instruments, log it. How you determine that you've conducted it by referrence to instruments, is largely up to you.
If you intend to claim that you did it under simulated instrument conditions, list the name of your safety pilot. Problem solved.