How can I use CSS transform-scale with ionicons?

Question

I have this simple snippet with four buttons with a CSS scale transform:

.social-buttons {
  height: 90px;
  margin: auto;
  font-size: 0;
  text-align: center;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
}

.social-button {
  display: inline-block;
  background-color: #fff;
  width: 90px;
  height: 90px;
  line-height: 90px;
  margin: 0 10px;
  text-align: center;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  opacity: .99;
  border-radius: 28%;
  box-shadow: 0 0 30px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button:before {
  content: '';
  background-color: #000;
  width: 120%;
  height: 120%;
  position: absolute;
  top: 90%;
  left: -110%;
  -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg);
          transform: rotate(45deg);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button i {
  position:relative;
  font-size: 38px;
  vertical-align: middle;
  -webkit-transform: scale(0.8);
          transform: scale(0.8);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button.facebook:before {
  background-color: #3B5998;
}
.social-button.facebook i {
  color: #3B5998;
}
.social-button.twitter:before {
  background-color: #3CF;
}
.social-button.twitter i {
  color: #3CF;
}
.social-button.google:before {
  background-color: #DC4A38;
}
.social-button.google i {
  color: #DC4A38;
}
.social-button.youtube:before {
  background-color: #F26798;
}
.social-button.youtube i {
  color: #F26798;
}
.social-button:focus:before, .social-button:hover:before {
  top: -10%;
  left: -10%;
}
.social-button:focus i, .social-button:hover i {
  color: #fff;
  -webkit-transform: scale(1.5);
          transform: scale(1.5);
}

<link href="//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.3.0/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>
<link href="http://code.ionicframework.com/ionicons/1.5.2/css/ionicons.min.css" rel="stylesheet"/>

<div class="social-buttons"><a href="#" class="social-button facebook"><i class="ion-social-facebook"></i></a><a href="#" class="social-button twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a href="#" class="social-button google"><i class="fa fa-google"></i></a><a href="#" class="social-button youtube"><i class="ion-social-youtube"></i></a>
</div>

As you can see, first and last buttons are with ionicons in the middle instead I used font awesome.

Why the scale transform doesn't work with ionicons?

Answer 1

The structure of Font Awesome and Ion Icons is slightly different.

You need to amend your final line to

.social-button:focus i, .social-button:hover i, /* font awesome */
.social-button:focus i, .social-button:hover i:before /* ionicons */
 {
  color: #fff;
  -webkit-transform: scale(1.5);
          transform: scale(1.5);
  }

/* Reset */

@import url(//codepen.io/chrisdothtml/pen/ojLzJK.css);
 .social-buttons {
  height: 90px;
  margin: auto;
  font-size: 0;
  text-align: center;
  position: absolute;
  top: 0;
  bottom: 0;
  left: 0;
  right: 0;
}
.social-button {
  display: inline-block;
  background-color: #fff;
  width: 90px;
  height: 90px;
  line-height: 90px;
  margin: 0 10px;
  text-align: center;
  position: relative;
  overflow: hidden;
  opacity: .99;
  border-radius: 28%;
  box-shadow: 0 0 30px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button:before {
  content: '';
  background-color: #000;
  width: 120%;
  height: 120%;
  position: absolute;
  top: 90%;
  left: -110%;
  -webkit-transform: rotate(45deg);
  transform: rotate(45deg);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button i {
  position: relative;
  font-size: 38px;
  vertical-align: middle;
  -webkit-transform: scale(0.8);
  transform: scale(0.8);
  -webkit-transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
  transition: all 0.35s cubic-bezier(0.31, -0.105, 0.43, 1.59);
}
.social-button.facebook:before {
  background-color: #3B5998;
}
.social-button.facebook i {
  color: #3B5998;
}
.social-button.twitter:before {
  background-color: #3CF;
}
.social-button.twitter i {
  color: #3CF;
}
.social-button.google:before {
  background-color: #DC4A38;
}
.social-button.google i {
  color: #DC4A38;
}
.social-button.dribbble:before {
  background-color: #F26798;
}
.social-button.dribbble i {
  color: #F26798;
}
.social-button:focus:before,
.social-button:hover:before {
  top: -10%;
  left: -10%;
}
.social-button:focus i,
.social-button:hover i,
.social-button:focus i,
.social-button:hover i:before {
  color: #fff;
  -webkit-transform: scale(1.5);
  transform: scale(1.5);
}

<link href="//maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com/font-awesome/4.3.0/css/font-awesome.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />
<link href="http://code.ionicframework.com/ionicons/1.5.2/css/ionicons.min.css" rel="stylesheet" />

<div class="social-buttons"><a href="#" class="social-button facebook"><i class="ion-social-facebook"></i></a><a href="#" class="social-button twitter"><i class="fa fa-twitter"></i></a><a href="#" class="social-button google"><i class="fa fa-google"></i></a>
  <a href="#" class="social-button dribbble"><i class="ion-social-youtube"></i>
  </a>
</div>

Answer 2

In the CSS class .social-button i add display:inline-block;