If you took a group of commercial pilots they would all have a different answer for "when can you log actual IFR" the correct answer is when you are in IFR conditions (no reference to horizon) if your on an IFR FP in vfr conditions you cannot log any Instrument time and cannot log any approach you do because you must fly the approach under actual or simulated instrument. I worked with a guy that logged actual instrument any time he couldn't see the ground (above a layer) i would love to see the look on the interviewers face when they here that!