buttons look great now, including unstyled ones menu items work too

src/components/emoji_picker/emoji_picker.scss

@@ -10,15 +10,6 @@ $emoji-picker-emoji-size: 32px;
   max-width: calc(100vw - 20px); // popover gives 10px margin from window edge
   display: flex;
   flex-direction: column;
-  background-color: $fallback--bg;
-  background-color: var(--popover, $fallback--bg);
-  color: $fallback--link;
-  color: var(--popoverText, $fallback--link);
-
-  --faint: var(--popoverFaintText, $fallback--faint);
-  --faintLink: var(--popoverFaintLink, $fallback--faint);
-  --lightText: var(--popoverLightText, $fallback--lightText);
-  --icon: var(--popoverIcon, $fallback--icon);
 
   &-header-image {
     display: inline-flex;
@@ -104,13 +95,8 @@ $emoji-picker-emoji-size: 32px;
         pointer-events: none;
       }
 
-      &.active {
+      &.toggled {
         border-bottom: 4px solid;
-
-        svg {
-          color: $fallback--lightText;
-          color: var(--lightText, $fallback--lightText);
-        }
       }
     }
   }

src/components/emoji_picker/emoji_picker.vue

@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@
             v-for="group in filteredEmojiGroups"
             :ref="setGroupRef('group-header-' + group.id)"
             :key="group.id"
-            class="emoji-tabs-item"
+            class="button-unstyled emoji-tabs-item"
             :class="{
-              active: activeGroupView === group.id
+              toggled: activeGroupView === group.id
             }"
             :title="group.text"
             role="button"
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@
           class="additional-tabs"
         >
           <span
-            class="stickers-tab-icon additional-tabs-item"
-            :class="{active: showingStickers}"
+            class="button-unstyled stickers-tab-icon additional-tabs-item"
+            :class="{toggled: showingStickers}"
             :title="$t('emoji.stickers')"
             @click.prevent="toggleStickers"
           >