diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-list.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-list.scss
index cb110a92172..c1539bd2781 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-list.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/topic-list.scss
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@
         background-color: $secondary;
     }
     &.highlighted {
-      background-color: scale-color($tertiary, $lightness: 85%);
+        background-color: dark-light-diff($tertiary, $secondary, 90%, -41%);
     }
   }
   button.bulk-select {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
index 80b5fa4d4ce..2a4f7ff6817 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user-card.scss
@@ -77,11 +77,11 @@
     font-size: 13px;
     font-weight: normal;
     margin-top: 0;
-    color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
+    color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 25%, -25%);
     overflow: hidden;
     text-overflow: ellipsis;
     a {
-      color: $secondary;
+      color: dark-light-diff($primary, $secondary, 50%, -50%);
     }
   }
   .groups {
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@
       display: inline;
       margin-right: 5px;
       .desc, a {
-        color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 70%);
+        color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 50%, -50%);
       }
     }
     div {display: inline; color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
@@ -195,8 +195,8 @@
 
       .user-badge {
         background: transparent;
-        color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
-        border-color: scale-color($primary, $lightness: 50%);
+        color: dark-light-diff($primary, $secondary, 50%, -50%);
+        border-color: dark-light-diff($primary, $secondary, 50%, -50%);
       }
 
       h3 {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
index 47c4be0061f..8c8355b103b 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/desktop/user.scss
@@ -282,26 +282,26 @@
         width: 100%;
         position: relative;
         float: left;
-        color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 75%, 0%);
+        color: $secondary;
 
         h1 {font-weight: bold;}
 
         .primary-textual {
           padding: 3px;
           a[href] {
-            color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 75%, -10%);
+            color: $secondary;
 
           }
         }
 
         .bio {
-          color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 75%, 0%);
+          color: $secondary;
           max-height: 300px;
           overflow: auto;
           max-width: 750px;
 
           a.mention {
-            background-color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 50%, -60%);
+            background-color: dark-light-diff($secondary, $primary, 20%, -50%);
           }
 
           a[href] {