plague of sh1tty halogen lamps

Best to buy named brand lamps - Crompton - as an example, cost a bit more but last longer with a good light.

I have 2 in my living room (not used very often). When I last went to buy spares, the cheapest way was to buy a set of 5 MR11 downlighters with transformer on offer in B&Q, and throw it all* away except the bulbs. The bulbs are no-names, but project a nice soft-edged circular spot in the wall, verses the expensive GE ones I bought, which had an irregular sharp cutoff, quite unsuitable for projecting at pictures on the walls.

• Actually, I just couldn't face throwing out the electronic transformers, which sat in the garage for 5 years. I've just dug them out for my next project - converting a set of matching mains pendants and wall lights which use candle bulbs on a dimmer, to use 12V capules instead with the dimming transformers.