diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/compose.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/compose.scss
index 807fce672f6..04e4e9c5eb9 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/compose.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/compose.scss
@@ -27,10 +27,10 @@
           vertical-align: middle;
         }
         &.selected {
-          background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 90%);
+          background-color: dark-light-diff($tertiary, $secondary, 90%, -60%);
         }
         @include hover {
-          background-color: scale-color($highlight, $lightness: 60%);
+          background-color: dark-light-diff($highlight, $secondary, 90%, -80%);
           text-decoration: none;
         }
       }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
index 300bba802a2..fded897e0f0 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/base/header.scss
@@ -179,14 +179,14 @@
       }
 
       &:hover a:not(.badge-notification) {
-        background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -10%);
+        background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -70%);
         }
 
       button {margin-left: 5px;}
   }
 
   .heading a:hover  {
-    background-color: dark-light-diff($highlight, $secondary, 50%, -30%);
+    background-color: dark-light-diff($highlight, $secondary, 50%, -70%);
   }
 
   .selected {
@@ -199,8 +199,8 @@
     .fa { color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%); }
     .icon { color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 30%); }
     li {
-      background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 90%);
-      padding: 3px 0 3px 2px;
+      background-color: dark-light-diff($tertiary, $secondary, 90%, -60%);
+      padding: 4px 0 3px 2px;
       i {
         float: left;
         margin-right: 5px;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/compose.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/compose.scss
index 1ce8fc29df1..6d7535e2988 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/compose.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/compose.scss
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 .composer-popup {
 
   @include box-shadow(3px 3px 3px rgba(0,0,0, 0.34));
-  background: dark-light-diff($highlight, $secondary, 50%, -40%);
+  background: dark-light-diff($highlight, $secondary, 50%, -80%);
 
   &.urgent {
     background: dark-light-diff($danger, $secondary, 50%, -40%);
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
index b442ec0c5a6..d58c1f9342b 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
@@ -610,13 +610,13 @@ text-overflow: ellipsis;
 
 .moderator {
   .topic-body {
-    background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -10%);
+    background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -80%);
   }
 }
 
 .deleted {
   .topic-body {
-    background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($danger,.7), $secondary, 50%, -10%);
+    background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($danger,.7), $secondary, 50%, -60%);
   }
 }
 
@@ -861,7 +861,7 @@ $topic-avatar-width: 45px;
 .dropdown-menu .active > a:hover {
   color: $primary;
   text-decoration: none;
-  background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -10%);
+  background-color: dark-light-diff(rgba($highlight,.7), $secondary, 50%, -70%);
 
 }