diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/buttons.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/buttons.scss
index d87a2620376..e6f03528d41 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/buttons.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/buttons.scss
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@
 }
 
 .btn-transparent {
-  color: $btn-transparent-color;
+  color: $gl-gray-light;
   background-color: transparent;
   border: 0;
 
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@
   text-align: left;
   padding: 6px 16px;
   border-color: $border-color;
-  color: $btn-placeholder-gray;
+  color: $gray-darkest;
   background-color: $background-color;
 
   &:hover,
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@
     cursor: text;
     box-shadow: none;
     border-color: $border-color;
-    color: $btn-placeholder-gray;
+    color: $gray-darkest;
     background-color: $background-color;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/dropdowns.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/dropdowns.scss
index 628e426891e..fd5f521e4a0 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/dropdowns.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/dropdowns.scss
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 
 @mixin chevron-active {
   .fa-chevron-down {
-    color: $dropdown-toggle-hover-icon-color;
+    color: $gray-darkest;
   }
 }
 
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   .dropdown-toggle,
   .dropdown-menu-toggle {
     @include chevron-active;
-    border-color: $dropdown-toggle-hover-border-color;
+    border-color: $gray-darkest;
   }
 }
 
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
   }
 
   .fa {
-    color: $dropdown-toggle-icon-color;
+    color: $gray-darkest;
   }
 
   .fa-chevron-down {
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@
 
   &:hover {
     @include chevron-active;
-    border-color: $dropdown-toggle-hover-border-color;
+    border-color: $gray-darkest;
   }
 
   &:focus:active {
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@
   }
 
   .dropdown-header {
-    color: $dropdown-header-color;
+    color: $gl-gray-light;
     font-size: 13px;
     line-height: 22px;
     padding: 0 10px;
@@ -223,7 +223,7 @@
   .unclickable {
     cursor: not-allowed;
     padding: 5px 8px;
-    color: $dropdown-header-color;
+    color: $gl-gray-light;
   }
 }
 
@@ -602,7 +602,7 @@
 
   th {
     padding: 2px 0;
-    color: $calendar-header-color;
+    color: $note-disabled-comment-color;
     font-weight: normal;
     text-transform: lowercase;
     border-top: 1px solid $calendar-border-color;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/issue_box.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/issue_box.scss
index 44834a84234..298913108ee 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/issue_box.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/issue_box.scss
@@ -41,6 +41,6 @@
   }
 
   &.status-box-upcoming {
-    background: $issue-box-upcoming-bg;
+    background: $gl-gray-light;
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/lists.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/lists.scss
index ed4b60faf92..389ead37366 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/lists.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/lists.scss
@@ -224,7 +224,7 @@ ul.content-list {
   }
 
   .label-default {
-    color: $btn-transparent-color;
+    color: $gl-gray-light;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/markdown_area.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/markdown_area.scss
index 59a30d31ac7..cf298773d58 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/markdown_area.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/markdown_area.scss
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@
 .toolbar-btn {
   float: left;
   padding: 0 5px;
-  color: $note-toolbar-color;
+  color: $gl-gray-light;
   background: transparent;
   border: 0;
   outline: 0;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/nav.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/nav.scss
index ea86961eabc..26d290976dc 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/nav.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/nav.scss
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
       margin-bottom: -1px;
       font-size: 14px;
       line-height: 28px;
-      color: $note-toolbar-color;
+      color: $gl-gray-light;
       border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;
 
       &:hover,
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
     .badge {
       font-weight: normal;
       background-color: $nav-badge-bg;
-      color: $btn-transparent-color;
+      color: $gl-gray-light;
       vertical-align: baseline;
     }
   }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/variables.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/variables.scss
index 4b178a75f58..00ac5e82181 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/variables.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/variables.scss
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ $gray-lighter: #f9f9f9;
 $gray-normal: darken($gray-light, $darken-normal-factor);
 $gray-dark: darken($gray-light, $darken-dark-factor);
 $gray-darker: #eee;
-$gray-darkest: #c9c9c9;
+$gray-darkest: #c4c4c4;
 
 $green-light: #3cbd70;
 $green-normal: darken($green-light, $darken-normal-factor);
@@ -116,7 +116,6 @@ $gl-gray-light: #8f8f8f;
 $gl-grayish-blue: #7f8fa4;
 $gl-gray: $gl-text-color;
 $gl-gray-dark: #313236;
-$gl-gray-light: $gl-gray-light;
 $gl-header-color: #4c4e54;
 
 /*
@@ -166,7 +165,6 @@ $header-height: 50px;
 $fixed-layout-width: 1280px;
 $error-exclamation-point: #e62958;
 $border-radius-default: 2px;
-$btn-transparent-color: #8f8f8f;
 $settings-icon-size: 18px;
 $provider-btn-group-border: #e5e5e5;
 $provider-btn-not-active-color: #4688f1;
@@ -191,7 +189,6 @@ $count-arrow-border: #dce0e5;
 $save-project-loader-color: #555;
 $divergence-graph-bar-bg: #ccc;
 $divergence-graph-separator-bg: #ccc;
-$issue-box-upcoming-bg: #8f8f8f;
 
 /*
 * Common component specific colors
@@ -276,7 +273,6 @@ $dropdown-empty-row-bg: rgba(#000, .04);
 $dropdown-border-color: $border-color;
 $dropdown-shadow-color: rgba(#000, .1);
 $dropdown-divider-color: rgba(#000, .1);
-$dropdown-header-color: #959494;
 $dropdown-title-btn-color: #bfbfbf;
 $dropdown-input-color: #555;
 $dropdown-input-fa-color: #c7c7c7;
@@ -287,18 +283,14 @@ $dropdown-chevron-size: 10px;
 
 $dropdown-toggle-bg: #fff;
 $dropdown-toggle-border-color: #e5e5e5;
-$dropdown-toggle-hover-border-color: darken($dropdown-toggle-border-color, 13%);
 $dropdown-toggle-active-border-color: darken($dropdown-toggle-border-color, 14%);
-$dropdown-toggle-icon-color: #c4c4c4;
-$dropdown-toggle-hover-icon-color: darken($dropdown-toggle-icon-color, 7%);
+
 
 /*
 * Buttons
 */
 $btn-active-gray: #ececec;
 $btn-active-gray-light: e4e7ed;
-$btn-placeholder-gray: #c7c7c7;
-$btn-white-active: #848484;
 $btn-gray-hover: #eee;
 
 /*
@@ -315,22 +307,18 @@ $award-emoji-new-btn-icon-color: #dcdcdc;
 $search-input-border-color: rgba(#4688f1, .8);
 $search-input-focus-shadow-color: $dropdown-input-focus-shadow;
 $search-input-width: 220px;
-$location-badge-color: #aaa;
 $location-badge-bg: $dark-background-color;
 $location-badge-active-bg: #4f91f8;
 $location-icon-color: #e7e9ed;
-$location-icon-active-color: #807e7e;
 
 /*
  *  Notes
  */
 $notes-light-color: #8e8e8e;
-$notes-action-color: #c3c3c3;
 $notes-role-color: #8e8e8e;
 $notes-role-border-color: #e4e4e4;
 $note-disabled-comment-color: #b2b2b2;
 $note-form-border-color: #e5e5e5;
-$note-toolbar-color: #959494;
 $note-targe3-outside: #fffff0;
 $note-targe3-inside: #ffffd3;
 $note-line2-border: #ddd;
@@ -344,7 +332,6 @@ $zen-control-color: #555;
 /*
 * Calendar
 */
-$calendar-header-color: #b8b8b8;
 $calendar-hover-bg: #ecf3fe;
 $calendar-border-color: rgba(#000, .1);
 $calendar-unselectable-bg: $gray-light;
@@ -360,15 +347,9 @@ $cycle-analytics-dark-text: $gl-title-color;
 $cycle-analytics-light-gray: #bfbfbf;
 $cycle-analytics-dismiss-icon-color: #b2b2b2;
 
-/*
- * Personal Access Tokens
- */
-$personal-access-tokens-disabled-label-color: #bbb;
-
 /*
 * CI
 */
-$ci-text-color: #c5c8c6;
 $ci-skipped-color: #888;
 
 /*
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/zen.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/zen.scss
index a1e3038b8de..84b639fabf5 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/zen.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/framework/zen.scss
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 }
 
 .zen-control-full {
-  color: $note-toolbar-color;
+  color: $gl-gray-light;
 
   &:hover {
     color: $gl-link-color;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/builds.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/builds.scss
index bf00b23d787..e2d80723eff 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/builds.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/builds.scss
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
 
 .build-trace {
   background: $black;
-  color: $ci-text-color;
+  color: $gray-darkest;
   white-space: pre;
   overflow-x: auto;
   font-size: 12px;
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/note_form.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/note_form.scss
index c35d71f9e7b..468f07d0534 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/note_form.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/note_form.scss
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@
 
 .comment-toolbar {
   padding-top: $gl-padding-top;
-  color: $note-toolbar-color;
+  color: $gl-gray-light;
   border-top: 1px solid $border-color;
 }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/notes.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/notes.scss
index 10eb3d4203e..0d4db14dafb 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/notes.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/notes.scss
@@ -372,7 +372,7 @@ ul.notes {
 .note-actions {
   float: right;
   margin-left: 10px;
-  color: $notes-action-color;
+  color: $gray-darkest;
 }
 
 .note-actions {
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ ul.notes {
   }
 
   .fa {
-    color: $notes-action-color;
+    color: $gray-darkest;
     position: relative;
     font-size: 17px;
   }
@@ -573,10 +573,10 @@ ul.notes {
 
   svg {
     position: relative;
-    color: $notes-action-color;
+    color: $gray-darkest;
 
     path {
-      fill: $notes-action-color;
+      fill: $gray-darkest;
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/pipelines.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/pipelines.scss
index 656dcd92a06..acc9dae4745 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/pipelines.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/pipelines.scss
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@
 .toggle-pipeline-btn {
 
   .fa {
-    color: $dropdown-header-color;
+    color: $gl-gray-light;
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/profile.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/profile.scss
index f8677f93fe0..ffbda72b00e 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/profile.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/profile.scss
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@
 }
 
 .personal-access-tokens-never-expires-label {
-  color: $personal-access-tokens-disabled-label-color;
+  color: $note-disabled-comment-color;
 }
 
 .datepicker.personal-access-tokens-expires-at .ui-state-disabled span {
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/search.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/search.scss
index 63d0a34e610..b027ace6a1f 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/search.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/search.scss
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
     border-radius: $border-radius-default;
     font-size: 14px;
     font-style: normal;
-    color: $location-badge-color;
+    color: $note-disabled-comment-color;
     display: inline-block;
     background-color: $location-badge-bg;
     vertical-align: top;
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@
 
     .search-input-wrap {
       i {
-        color: $location-icon-active-color;
+        color: $layout-link-gray;
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/xterm.scss b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/xterm.scss
index 9f9d630978a..b085c56390d 100644
--- a/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/xterm.scss
+++ b/app/assets/stylesheets/pages/xterm.scss
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   $l-blue: #81a2be;
   $l-magenta: #b294bb;
   $l-cyan: #8abeb7;
-  $l-white: $ci-text-color;
+  $l-white: $gray-darkest;
 
   /*
   * xterm colors