Well, I managed to get the lowbeam HID bulb out without removing the bumper. I found that it had exploded into about 1000 pieces. I'll have to get the bumper off to remove the housing and pour out the broken pieces but I'll wait until the new bulbs arrive in the mail.

Is this a normal way for an HID bulb to fail, or is it a sign of another problem (ie moisture in the housing)?