Use Pseudo Element to Create Background Overlay - html

Question

My goal is to have a div with any background, which then uses a pseudo element to create a transparent white overlay, thus "lightening" the background of the div. The "overlay" must be UNDER the contents of the div, though. So, in the following example:
<div class="container">
<div class="content">
<h1>Hello, World</h1>
</div>
</div>
.container {
background-color: red;
width: 500px;
height: 500px;
position: relative;
}
.content {
background-color: blue;
width: 250px;
}
.container::before {
content:"";
display: block;
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
z-index: 1;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, .8);
}
The .content div should not be "underneath" the white overlay, aka .container::before.
I would prefer not having to use z-index on .content, but I can if that is the only solution.
End goal: The red should be covered while the text and blue are not.
JS fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/1c5j9n4x/

Answer 1

If the pseudo element has a z-index, then you would need to position the .content element and add a z-index value to establish a stacking context.
Updated Example
.content {
background-color: blue;
width: 250px;
position: relative;
z-index: 1;
}
..you could also remove the z-index from the pseudo element and then merely position the .content element. In doing so, none of the elements need a z-index. The reason this works is because the :before pseudo element is essentially a previous sibling element. Thus, the succeeding .content element is positioned on top.
Alternative Example
.content {
background-color: blue;
width: 250px;
position: relative;
}
.container::before {
content:"";
display: block;
height: 100%;
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
width: 100%;
background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, .8);
}