<div class="container">
	<h3>CSS Pseudo Element Abuse -  Glow Buttons</h3>
	<ul class="Nav MainNav">
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive"><a href="#">1</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_Active"><a href="#">2</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_RightOfActive"><a href="#">3</a></li>
	</ul>

	<hr>
	<h3><a href="http://dribbble.com/shots/711443-Light-Dark?list=likes" class="TextLink" target="_blank">Original Static Dribbble Shot</a></h3>

	<div style="background:url('https://dribbble.s3.amazonaws.com/users/121011/screenshots/711443/attachments/66290/Light_Dark-bigger.png') no-repeat -678px -180px; width:446px; height:86px; margin:0 auto;"></div>
	
	<hr>
	<!--small-->
	<h3>Build with EMs can be scaled down</h3>
	<ul class="Nav Nav_Small MainNav">
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive"><a href="#">1</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_Active"><a href="#">2</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_RightOfActive"><a href="#">3</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button"><a href="#">4</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button"><a href="#">5</a></li>
	</ul>
	
	<hr>
	<h3>or enlarged</h3>
	<ul class="Nav Nav_Large MainNav">
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive"><a href="#">1</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_Active"><a href="#">2</a></li>
		<li class="MainNav-Button MainNav-Button_RightOfActive"><a href="#">3</a></li>
	</ul>

	<p>Original dribbble shot by: <a href="http://dribbble.com/justd" class="TextLink">JustD</a> - Permission was sought before attempting this CSS challenge.</p>
<a href="https://twitter.com/jnowland" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false" data-size="large">Follow @jnowland</a>
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</div>
@import "compass/css3";

@import "compass";
@import "compass/reset";
@import url(https://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Fresca);

//Colours

$blue:#4cbeff;
$charcoal:#242424;

// SASS Helpers:;

//Em Calculator
@function emCalc($target, $context:16) {
	@return $target / $context * 1em;
}

//Clearfix
%clearfix{
	&:after {
		content: "";
		display: table;
		clear: both;
	}
}

//Drier Psuedo Elements
%pseudo {
	content:'';
	display:block;
	position:absolute;
}


// Main Navigation
.container {
	text-align: center;
	padding: emCalc(60) 0;
}

.Nav{
	@extend %clearfix;
	list-style:none;
	margin-left:0;
}

.Nav_Small {
	font-size:0.65em;
}

.Nav_Large {
	font-size:1.4em;
}

.MainNav {
	@include border-radius(emCalc(7));
	@include box-shadow(
		#4d4d4d 0 -1px 0px 0px inset,
		rgba(#fff,0.0857)  0 -5px 0px 0px inset,
		rgba(#1e1e1e,1) 0 4px 0px 0px inset
	);

	background:$charcoal;
	border-top:1px solid rgba(#000,0.1);
	border-bottom:1px solid rgba(#fff,0.1);
	display:inline-block;
	text-align: center;
	padding: emCalc(6) emCalc(5);
	position: relative;

	&:before {
		@include border-bottom-left-radius(emCalc(7));
		@extend %pseudo;
		background:rgba($charcoal,0.4);
		width:emCalc(7);
		height:emCalc(7);
		bottom:0;
		left:0;
		
	}

	&:after {
		@include border-bottom-right-radius(emCalc(7));
		@extend %pseudo;
		background:rgba($charcoal,0.4);
		width:emCalc(7);
		height:emCalc(7);
		bottom:0;
		right:0;

	}
}

.MainNav-Button {
	@include border-radius(emCalc(5));
	@include box-shadow(
		rgba(#fff,.15) 0 1px 0px 0px inset,
		rgba(#fff,.05) 0 1px 0px 1px inset,
		rgba(#000,0.7) 0 1px 2px 0px,
		rgba(#090909,0.6) 0 2px 3px 2px
	);

	background-color: #343434;
	@include background-image(linear-gradient(top, rgba(#4e4e4e,0.15) 0%,rgba(#414141,0.15) 2%,rgba(#3b3b3b,0.15) 5%,rgba(#383838,0.15) 32%,rgba(#363636,0.15) 33%,rgba(#353535,0.15) 46%,rgba(#333333,0.15) 47%,rgba(#323232,0.15) 60%,rgba(#303030,0.15) 61%,rgba(#2a2a2a,0.15) 100%));
	background-size: 4px 4px;
	float:left;
	margin-right: emCalc(2);
	padding: emCalc(6) emCalc(7);
	position: relative;

	a {
		@include border-radius(emCalc(11,24));
		@include text-shadow(#000 0 -1px 0);
		background:rgba(#b6b6b6,0.018);
		color:rgba(#fff,0.85);
		display:block;
		font-family: 'Fresca', sans-serif;
		font-size: emCalc(24);
		padding: emCalc(12,24) emCalc(60,24) emCalc(12,24);
		text-decoration: none;
	}

	&:hover {
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba(#fff,.05) 0 1px 0px 0px inset,
			rgba(#fff,.02) 0 1px 0px 1px inset,
			rgba(#090909,0.5) 0 2px 2px 1px
		);

		a {
			@include opacity(0.8);
		}
	}

	&:after {
		@extend %pseudo;		
		@include background-image(linear-gradient(left, rgba(255,255,255,0) 0%,rgba(255,255,255,0) 20%,rgba(255,255,255,0.5) 50%,rgba(255,255,255,0.11) 69%,rgba(255,255,255,0) 80%,rgba(255,255,255,0) 100%));
		
		width:100%;
		height:1px;
		left:0;
		top:0;
	}
}

.MainNav-Button_Active {
	@include box-shadow(
		rgba(#000,0.4) 0 0 0 1px inset
	);

	background-color:#2d2d2d;
	background-image: linear-gradient(transparent 50%, #2e2e2e 50%);
	background-size: 2px 2px;
	
	a {
		@include text-shadow(
			rgba(#fff,0.4)  0 0 35px,
			rgba($blue,0.95)  0 0 25px
		);
		background:none;
		color:$blue;
	}

	&:before {
		@extend %pseudo;
		@include background-image(radial-gradient(center, ellipse cover, rgba(41,137,216,0.51) 0%,rgba(30,87,153,0.01) 53%,rgba(30,87,153,0) 54%,rgba(30,87,153,0) 57%));
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba($blue,0.02)  0 0 0px 3px inset
		);

		top:- emCalc(4);
		left:10%;
		width:80%;
		height:emCalc(6);

	}

	&:after {
		@extend %pseudo;		
		@include background-image(radial-gradient(center, ellipse cover, rgba(41,137,216,0.51) 0%,rgba(30,87,153,0.01) 53%,rgba(30,87,153,0) 54%,rgba(30,87,153,0) 57%));
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba(#fff,0.05)  0 -5px 0px 0px inset
		);

		top:inherit;
		bottom:- emCalc(8);
		left:0;
		width:100%;
		height:emCalc(8);
	}

	&:hover {
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba(#000,0.4) 0 0 0 1px inset
		);
	}

}


.MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive {
	&:before {
		@extend %pseudo;
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba(#508889,0.5)  -1px 0px 0px 0px
		);
		@include background-image(linear-gradient(top, rgba(76,190,255,0) 0%,rgba(76,190,255,0.7) 50%,rgba(76,190,255,0.69) 51%,rgba(76,190,255,0) 100%));
		
		width:1px;
		height:90%;
		right:0;
		top:5%;

	}
}

.MainNav-Button_RightOfActive {
	&:before {
		@extend %pseudo;
		@include box-shadow(
			rgba(#508889,0.5)  1px 0px 0px 0px
		);

		@include background-image(linear-gradient(top, rgba(76,190,255,0) 0%,rgba(76,190,255,0.7) 50%,rgba(76,190,255,0.69) 51%,rgba(76,190,255,0) 100%));
		
		width:1px;
		height:90%;
		left:0;
		top:5%;

	}
}


// Other HTML Elements for demo only.
body {
	background:#2a2a2a image-url('background-pattern.gif');
	font-family: sans-serif;
}

h3 {
	@include text-shadow(rgba(#000,1)  -1px -2px 0px 0px);
	font-size:emCalc(12);
	color:#a6a6a6;
	text-transform: uppercase;
	margin-bottom:1em;
	font-weight: normal;
	letter-spacing: 2px;
}

.TextLink {
	text-decoration: none;
	color:#a6a6a6;
	font-weight: bold;

	&:hover {
		text-decoration: underline;
	}
}

hr {
	@include opacity(0.1);
	height:0px;
	border-top:black 1px solid;
	margin:2em auto;
	width:60%;
}

p {
	color:#a6a6a6;
	font-size:emCalc(13);
	line-height:emCalc(18,13);
	margin-top:2em;
  margin-bottom:2em;
}
View Compiled
//JS to make it work on single page/codepen
var MainNav = $('.MainNav-Button');

MainNav.on('mousedown', function(){
	var $this = $(this);
	$this.parent().find('.MainNav-Button').removeClass('MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive MainNav-Button_RightOfActive MainNav-Button_Active');
	$this.addClass('MainNav-Button_Active').prev().addClass('MainNav-Button_LeftOfActive');
	$this.next().addClass('MainNav-Button_RightOfActive');
});

MainNav.on('click', function(event){
	event.preventDefault();
});

External CSS

This Pen doesn't use any external CSS resources.

External JavaScript

  1. //cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jquery/2.1.3/jquery.min.js