diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/variables.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/variables.scss
index 113717c26f3..b50ddbc2d17 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/variables.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/common/foundation/variables.scss
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ $warning_border_color: lighten($red, 20%);
 $success_border_color: $green;
 
 $primary_text_color: $black;
-$secondary_text_color: lighten($black, 50%);
+$secondary_text_color: lighten($black, 40%);
 $tertiary_text_color: $white;
 $warning_text_color: $red;
 $success_text_color: $green;
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ $moderator_background_color: lighten($yellow, 30%) !default;
 $emphasis_background_color: lighten($blue, 45%);
 $success_background_color: lighten($green, 50%);
 $warning_background_color: lighten($red, 30%);
-$highlight_background_color: lighten($yellow, 25%);
+$highlight_background_color: lighten($yellow, 23%);
 $like_background_color: lighten($pink, 25%);
 
 $heatmap-high: lighten($red, 10%);
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/onebox.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/onebox.scss
index 9141c813f82..4c288cd7ee7 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/onebox.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/onebox.scss
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ a.loading-onebox {
       }
     }
   }
+
+ 
   .onebox-result-body {
     padding-top: 5px;
     img {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
index b9841153049..05ed1b5dfc1 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-post.scss
@@ -492,7 +492,7 @@ iframe {
       font-weight: normal;
       font-size: 12px;
       margin-top: 2px;
-      a {color: $primary_text_color;}
+      a {color: $secondary_text_color;}
 
     }
   }
@@ -612,7 +612,6 @@ iframe {
 }
 
 .staff a {
-  padding: 2px;
   margin: -2px 0 0 0;
   background-color: $highlight_background_color;
 }
@@ -648,7 +647,7 @@ blockquote { /* solo quotes */
   margin: 14px 0;
   padding: 12px;
 
-    a.mention {background: $secondary_text_color;}
+    a.mention {background: lighten($secondary_background_color, 60%);}
     p:first-of-type {margin-top: 0;}
     p:last-of-type {margin-bottom: 0;}
 }
@@ -771,6 +770,7 @@ blockquote { /* solo quotes */
 
 .embedded-posts {
   h1, h2, h3 {margin: 10px 0;}
+  a.mention {background: lighten($secondary_background_color, 60%);}
   &.bottom {
     &.hidden {display: block; opacity: 0; }